Hottest New Historical Fiction

The historical-fiction genre is a favorite of mine and continues to grow each year with more and more fabulous titles being published. It is a favorite of mine because I love being transported to another time and place and learning about something new to me while also becoming engrossed in a compelling story. Here are four recent releases that are true standouts:

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters – A Mi’kmaq family travels every summer from Nova Scotia to Maine to pick blueberries, and one summer their 4-year-old daughter Ruthie goes missing while in Maine, last seen by her 6-year-old brother Joe. Interspersed with their story is Norma’s tale of growing up in a wealthy Maine household, overly protected by her parents with dreams of an earlier life that feel more like memories. The story is not what happened to Ruthie, because we know that she is Norma, instead it is a tale of trauma and how two families cope with the aftermath of Ruthie’s abduction as well as how secrets can destroy families. While The Berry Pickers is not a happy story, it is a beautiful and powerful one about grief and tragedy and the lifelong repercussions. I loved learning about blueberry picking in Maine as well as the Mi’kmaq culture, and the sense of place is incredibly strong for both Maine and Nova Scotia. This book will appeal to readers who like character-driven stories, family sagas, and/or tales steeped in other cultures or locales. I highly recommend it.

The General and Julia by Jon Clinch is a thought-provoking and stunningly crafted story of Ulysses S. Grant’s life and legacy, written from his perspective.

The General and Julia by Jon Clinch – Near the end of his life and battling throat cancer, Ulysses S. Grant struggles to complete his memoirs before he passes away in order to leave his family financially sound. He chronicles his love for his family, his role in the Civil War as well as Lee’s surrender, serving as a twice-elected president, losing his entire fortune to a swindler, and his friendship with Samuel Clemens, who ultimately publishes his memoirs. While the focus is clearly on Grant in this tale, the book also serves as a fascinating glimpse into the Civil War and Reconstruction-Era years from a perspective I have not encountered previously. This thought-provoking and stunningly crafted story of Grant’s life and legacy from his own perspective will stay with me for a long time. This is a must-read book for historical fiction fans and history lovers alike; it was one of my top reads of 2023.

The Madstone by Elizabeth Crook – This beautifully crafted story set in 1868 Reconstruction-Era Texas is narrated by 19-year-old Benjamin Shreve to a young child, Tot, that he meets on the Texas frontier, recounting the journey the pair embark on with the child’s mom Nell across the state to a distant port. Nell and Tot are on the run from Nell’s husband, a dangerous man affiliated with a gang that harasses newly freed Black citizens. The trio, joined by a treasure hunter and a Black Seminole who is a veteran of several wars, make the dangerous journey across the Texas plains encountering all manner of hardships and peril. Benjamin’s smart, heartfelt and witty narration makes the story as well as the manner in which Crook brings 1860s Texas vividly to life. Her writing and sense of place are stunning. Have tissues handy when you read it.

The Queen of Sugar Hill by ReShonda Tate, which publishes Jan. 30, opens with the night Hattie McDaniel becomes the first Black woman to win an Academy Award for her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind and follows her life until her death from cancer at age 52. 

The Queen of Sugar Hill by ReShonda Tate (publishes Jan. 30) – The Queen of Sugar Hill opens with the night Hattie McDaniel becomes the first Black woman to win an Academy Award for her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind and follows her life until her death from cancer at age 52. While Hattie believed that winning this historical Oscar would change her career for the better, both the role and the award created more problems for her instead. Many Blacks despised her for her depiction of a subservient Black slave to the point that the NAACP waged a full-blown war against Hattie and other actors they felt portrayed Blacks negatively, and whites disliked her for being too Black. In the midst of the attacks on her, Hattie continued to fight for more roles for Black actors while also tackling housing discrimination and navigating numerous fraught romantic relationships. Tate brings Hattie McDaniel to life in a sympathetic but honest manner that had me rooting for her even when I didn’t agree with her decisions. This is such a fascinating time period in Hollywood, and I headed down numerous rabbit holes researching the people and events contained in the book. Historical-fiction fans will love this one.

For more book recommendations and bookish thoughts, see Cindy’s monthly Buzz Reads column, her Thoughts from a Page Podcast or follow @ThoughtsFromaPage on Instagram. Find upcoming Conversations from a Page events here.