Skip to content

Top Navigation

EW.com EW.com
    • All TV
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Reunions
    • Recaps
    • What to Watch
    • Animated
    • Comedy
    • Crime
    • Drama
    • Family
    • Horror
    • Reality
    • Sci-fi
    • Thriller
    • All Movies
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trailers
    • Film Festivals
    • Movie Reunions
    • Movie Previews
    • All Music
    • Music Reviews
    • All What to Watch
    • What to Watch Podcast Episodes
    • TV Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
    • All BINGE
    • EW's Binge Podcast Episodes
    • Recaps
    • Survivor
    • This is Us
    • RuPaul's Drag Race
    • Stranger Things
    • The Boys
    • The Blacklist
    • The Walking Dead
    • Better Call Saul
    • All The Awardist
    • The Awardist Podcast Episodes
    • Oscars
    • Emmys
    • Golden Globes
    • SAG Awards
    • Grammys
    • Tony Awards
    • All Books
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
    • All Theater
    • Theater Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Gaming
    • All Events
    • Comic-Con
  • Celebrity
  • Streaming

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe

Explore EW.com

EW.com EW.com
  • Explore

    Explore

    • Hell-raisers: The Boys season 3 shakes up prestige TV with superhero debauchery

      Hell-raisers: The Boys season 3 shakes up prestige TV with superhero debauchery

      Just because they're Emmy nominated doesn't mean The Boys are pulling their punches. Here, the team dives into what might be "the most insane season of TV ever filmed." Read More
    • Your guide to 2022's biggest tours

      Your guide to 2022's biggest tours

      From Billie Eilish and Bad Bunny to the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Weeknd, here are all the artists who can't wait to get on the road again. Read More
    • Ready for takeoff! We drank 3 rounds with the hotshot cast of Top Gun: Maverick

      Ready for takeoff! We drank 3 rounds with the hotshot cast of Top Gun: Maverick

      The actors playing the next generation of pilots in the action sequel felt the need for lots of cocktails. Read More
  • TV

    TV

    See All TV
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Reunions
    • Recaps
    • What to Watch
    • Animated
    • Comedy
    • Crime
    • Drama
    • Family
    • Horror
    • Reality
    • Sci-fi
    • Thriller
  • Movies

    Movies

    See All Movies
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trailers
    • Film Festivals
    • Movie Reunions
    • Movie Previews
  • Music

    Music

    See All Music
    • Music Reviews
  • What to Watch

    What to Watch

    See All What to Watch
    • What to Watch Podcast Episodes
    • TV Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
  • BINGE

    BINGE

    See All BINGE
    • EW's Binge Podcast Episodes
    • Recaps
    • Survivor
    • This is Us
    • RuPaul's Drag Race
    • Stranger Things
    • The Boys
    • The Blacklist
    • The Walking Dead
    • Better Call Saul
  • The Awardist

    The Awardist

    See All The Awardist
    • The Awardist Podcast Episodes
    • Oscars
    • Emmys
    • Golden Globes
    • SAG Awards
    • Grammys
    • Tony Awards
  • Books

    Books

    See All Books
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
  • Theater

    Theater

    See All Theater
    • Theater Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Gaming
  • Events

    Events

    See All Events
    • Comic-Con
  • Celebrity
  • Streaming

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Books
  3. 12 spring reading picks from your favorite historical fiction authors

12 spring reading picks from your favorite historical fiction authors

By Seija Rankin April 16, 2021 at 12:00 PM EDT
Skip gallery slides
FB

1 of 12

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Kate Quinn recommends The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray

Historical Fiction
Credit: Courtesy Kate Quinn; Penguin

"When I settle in with a book, I want to read about women who make me stand up and cheer. So my fave spring read was The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray, a fantastically ambitious historical novel centering around three timelines, three wars, three steel-strong women, and the castle in France that ties them all together. And for summer, the book I can't wait for is Kaia Alderson's Sisters in Arms, which stars the only all-Black female battalion to be deployed overseas during WWII — a story that needs to be told, and finally is!" — Kate Quinn, author of The Rose Code

1 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 12

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Catherine Adel West recommends Everyman by M Shelly Conner

Historical Fiction
Credit: Courtesy Catherine Adel West; Blackstone

"M. Shelly Conner's everyman is a brilliant literary debut! I love how this story superbly and deftly tackles race and identity. Conner showcases her skilled, nuanced command of history, dialogue and prose creating marvelously complicated characters where I found remnants of myself. It was hard to let go of this story even as I read the last page. Everyman is a story for everyone." — Catherine Adel West, author of Saving Ruby King

2 of 12

3 of 12

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Sarah Penner recommends The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

Historical Fiction
Credit: Courtesy Sarah Penner; HarperCollins

"I'm currently obsessing over Kate Quinn's The Rose Code, which is about three female codebreakers working at Bletchley Park during WWII. We learn early in the book that these three women, initially the best of friends, have a mysterious falling-out and one of them lands in an asylum. I'm turning the pages as fast as I can to learn why, which makes me feel a bit like one of the codebreaker characters myself. There are a few romantic entanglements, too. Who knew ciphers could be so sexy?" — Sarah Penner, author of The Lost Apothecary

3 of 12

Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

4 of 12

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Kristin Harmel recommends Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan

Historical Fiction
Credit: Courtesy Kristin Harmel; Penguin

"The spring is full of spectacular releases, but Patti Callahan's deeply researched Surviving Savannah stands out for its unique subject matter. It's based on the true story of a doomed ship known as the "Titanic of the South," which sank off the Carolina coast in 1838. The book's fascinating core question — 'How do we survive the surviving?' — resonates deeply in 2021, too." — Kristin Harmel, The Book of Lost Names

4 of 12

Advertisement

5 of 12

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Karin Tanabe recommends The Art of Losing by Alice Zeniter

Historical Fiction
Credit: Courtesy Karin Tanabe; Farrar, Straus and Giroux

"From Algeria to France over the span of three generations, this transporting novel explores the impacts of colonialism, war, and immigration, but also family history. It asks the question, 'Where are you really from?' and follows the protagonist as she tries to discover it for herself, instead of letting others define her." — Karin Tanabe, author of A Hundred Suns

5 of 12

6 of 12

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Denny S. Bryce recommends The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba by Chanel Cleeton

Historical Fiction
Credit: Valerie Bey Photography; Penguin

"As a fan of New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton's historical fiction, including her most recent book The Last Train to Key West, Denny is anxious to dig into the author's next novel, The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba: The late 19th century was a such a volatile period in American newspaper history and this novel centers on the story behind some of those headlines. Cleeton is skilled at immersing readers into the culture and the period of her stories while creating vibrant characters, especially women, in a fast-paced, thoroughly engaging read. Her new novel promises to deliver the same and more. Inspired by real-life events, the novel includes the true story of a legendary Cuban woman, Evangelina Cisneros." — Denny S. Bryce, author of Wild Women and the Blues

6 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

7 of 12

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Jane Healey recommends The Woman With the Blue Star

Historical Fiction
Credit: Courtesy Jane Healey; HQ Fiction

"I'm currently captivated by Pam Jenoff's heart-wrenching new WWII novel The Woman With the Blue Star. It tells the story of Sadie, a young woman hiding with her mother in the sewers of Krakow, Poland, after the Nazis liquidate her ghetto. When Ella, an affluent Polish girl, glimpses her underneath the sewer grate one day, an unlikely friendship forms between the two women. Based on harrowing true stories, this is a novel about the power of female friendships and the incredible strength of the human spirit to persevere in the darkest of times. Jenoff's' meticulous historical details and beautifully drawn characters will enchant her many fans, and no doubt gain her many new ones." — Jane Healey, author of The Secret Stealers

7 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement

8 of 12

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Alyssa Palombo recommends The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers

Historical Fiction
Credit: Courtesy Alyssa Palombo; Orbit

"The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers is just the kind of book I love: a perfect blend of historical fiction and fantasy, with sinister magic bubbling up just beneath the surface of the real world — although who is to say what is real and what is not within the Secret Circus? This dazzling tale has stayed with me long after I finished reading." — Alyssa Palombo, author of The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel

8 of 12

Advertisement

9 of 12

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Heather Webb recommends Finding Napoleon by Margaret Rodenberg

Historical Fiction
Credit: Courtesy Heather Webb; She Writes Press

"Finding Napoleon is a fresh look at a larger-than-life figure we think we know and have come to understand — Napoleon Bonaparte. Told through the eyes of his lover whose name has been lost in time, Albine de Montholon, is a bright and compelling character living on St. Helena. She comes to know the military man in retreat and in retirement, and a man who ruminates on what is important in the final chapters of his life. Rodenberg brings the spirit of the revolutionary era and what follows it to vibrant life in a sensory debut." — Heather Webb, author of Becoming Josephine

9 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

10 of 12

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Rita Williams-Garcia recommends The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur

Historical Fiction
Credit: Ferdinand Leyro; Feiwel & Friends

"I'm not the shivering type. But knee-deep inside Hur's taut, suspenseful snare, I felt the cold touch of secrets poking at my shoulder and sometimes, neck.  Disappearances, quests, and family tension? I'm all the way in." — Rita Williams-Garcia, author of A Sitting in St. James

10 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

11 of 12

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Crystal Wilkinson recommends When Stars Rain Down by Angela Jackson-Brown

Historical Fiction
Credit: Courtesy Crystal Wilkinson; Thomas Nelson

"Angela Jackson-Brown's riveting novel is about the past — the summer of 1936 in the segregated South — but as we all know, the past is never really completely past. The story of Opal Pruitt and her family in Parsons, Georgia, is a compelling one--sure to make you think about the atrocities of our country's racist history, but this novel also makes you think deeply about our present, about grace and empathy, and how we got here. I couldn't put this novel down, and you won't be able to put it down either. Jackson-Brown grapples with love, empathy, and racial strife while making her reader think deeply about love, empathy, and grace in today's climate and its protagonist, Opal Pruitt, will steal your heart." — Crystal Wilkinson, author of The Birds of Opulence

11 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement

12 of 12

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Lisa Wingate recommends Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly

Historical Fiction
Credit: Courtesy Lisa Wingate; Random House

"Martha Hall Kelly's latest is a beautifully written, intricately researched window into the lives of women in a world we can scarcely imagine today. Deeply rooted in little-known history, Sunflower Sisters took me on a journey that swept me up in its pages and left me pondering deeper truths in the end. It's a read filled with sisterhood, risk, reward, and plenty of fodder for book clubs. Grab it and enjoy!" — Lisa Wingate, The Book of Lost Friends

12 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

  • By Seija Rankin @@seijawrites

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 12 Kate Quinn recommends The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray
    2 of 12 Catherine Adel West recommends Everyman by M Shelly Conner
    3 of 12 Sarah Penner recommends The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
    4 of 12 Kristin Harmel recommends Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan
    5 of 12 Karin Tanabe recommends The Art of Losing by Alice Zeniter
    6 of 12 Denny S. Bryce recommends The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba by Chanel Cleeton
    7 of 12 Jane Healey recommends The Woman With the Blue Star
    8 of 12 Alyssa Palombo recommends The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers
    9 of 12 Heather Webb recommends Finding Napoleon by Margaret Rodenberg
    10 of 12 Rita Williams-Garcia recommends The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur
    11 of 12 Crystal Wilkinson recommends When Stars Rain Down by Angela Jackson-Brown
    12 of 12 Lisa Wingate recommends Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly

    Share & More

    Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message
    EW.com

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Meredith© Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright EW.com. All rights reserved. Printed from https://ew.com

    View image

    12 spring reading picks from your favorite historical fiction authors
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.