23 best historical fiction books: From Taylor Jenkins Reid classic to Outlander

Leave your cosy reading nook for the streets of Paris, the royal bedchamber and the bloodstained beaches of Troy, with these 23 historical fiction books. You’re guaranteed an epic, emotional and transportive experience from the very first page.

Best historical fiction books

1. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
2. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
3. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
4. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
5. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
6. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
7. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
8. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
9. Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
10. The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
11. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
12. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
13. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
14. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Anne Barrows
15. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
16. The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
17. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
18. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
19. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
20. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
21. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
22. The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
23. Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray

1. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Marie-Laure lives in Paris with her father near the Museum of Natural History, but when the Nazis occupy the city, they flee to Saint-Malo with a priceless and dangerous jewel. Meanwhile, orphaned Werner in Germany becomes a prodigy with radios, eventually forced to use his skills to track the resistance. Their lives intertwine in unexpected ways, showing how people struggle to remain good even in the darkest times. It’s a very different angle of the war, and the novel is especially celebrated for how Doerr captures the perspective of blind Marie-Laure.

2. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

In the quiet French village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac must survive when German soldiers occupy her home, forcing her to make impossible choices to protect her daughter. Meanwhile, her rebellious sister, Isabelle, seeks purpose and love amid the chaos, ultimately joining the Resistance after a betrayal. Against the backdrop of World War II, the sisters navigate fear, courage, and sacrifice in their own dangerous paths. Kristin Hannah’s novel is a powerful story of survival, love and the resilience of women in wartime.

3. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

In early 1900s Korea, teenage Sunja falls for a wealthy stranger who promises her the world, only to discover he is married and she is pregnant. Refusing to be bought, she marries a kind, sickly minister travelling to Japan. Her choice to leave home and reject her child’s powerful father sparks a saga that reverberates through generations. You’re taken through eight decades and four generations, to see that while many things change, some struggles never lose their sharpness.

4. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Diana Gabaldon's beloved series blends historical fiction and fantasy to transport readers to the past, but be warned: once you start it, you'll struggle to stop. In 1945, Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she steps through an ancient stone circle and finds herself in 1743 Scotland. Thrust into a land of war and fighting clans, she must navigate dangerous intrigues that threaten her life. There, she meets James Fraser, a brave Scots warrior who awakens a passionate love. Torn between loyalty to her husband and desire for James, Claire faces an impossible choice across two very different worlds.

5. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

It’s 1939 in Nazi Germany, and Death is busier than ever. Yep, Death narrates this entire novel, and it’s an incredible choice by Zusak. Back to the story itself. At her brother’s graveside, Liesel steals a book, sparking a lifelong love of reading with the help of her accordion-playing foster father. As she steals more books and her family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel’s world opens to wonder and inches closer to danger. The result is a treasure of a novel, centred on the light of humanity in the darkest of times.

6. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

We’ve all heard of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, but what about…the other Boleyn Girl? Mary Boleyn arrives at court as a naïve 14-year-old and quickly captures the attention of Henry VIII. Thrilled by her growing influence and the King’s admiration, she falls for both her golden prince and her newfound power. But as her family’s ambitions and courtly rivalries unfold, Mary is soon overshadowed by her sister Anne. Forced to confront her own destiny, she must defy both family and king to seize control of her fate. Philippa Gregory is a pillar in historical fiction, so you know this book won’t disappoint.

7. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner follows Amir, a young boy from Kabul’s Wazir Akbar Khan neighbourhood, as he grows up amid Afghanistan’s political upheaval—from the fall of the monarchy to the Soviet invasion, refugee exodus, and rise of the Taliban. At its heart, the novel explores Amir’s complex relationship with his father and the bonds that shape him. Themes of guilt and redemption run deeply throughout the story, driving Amir’s journey toward atonement. Against a backdrop of war and displacement, it is both a coming-of-age tale and a meditation on loyalty, betrayal, and forgiveness.

8. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

When orphaned Jacob Jankowski impulsively jumps onto a passing train, he finds himself in a struggling circus during the Great Depression, surrounded by drifters, misfits, and fleeting towns. Tasked with caring for the circus animals, Jacob meets Marlena, the captivating star of the equestrian act, who is married to the charismatic but twisted animal trainer August, and forms a unique bond with Rosie, an elephant that no one else can train. Water for Elephants is a beautifully written story, rich in time and place, capturing a love that defies incredible odds in a world where even love is a rare luxury.

9. Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer represents one of the great enigmas of 17th-century art, and you’ll certainly recognise his work, especially one mysterious painting. Girl with a Pearl Earring is set in Vermeer’s prosperous Delft household during the 1660s, where the quietly perceptive Griet is hired as a servant. As she navigates her new role, Griet grows increasingly close to her master, drawing her into a delicate and dangerous intimacy. Eventually, she becomes Vermeer’s assistant and is chosen to sit for him as a model, forever changing the course of her life.

10. The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa

In the grand tradition of sweeping period drama, The Leopard whisks us away to 19th-century Sicily, where a crumbling aristocracy is forced to confront the unstoppable tide of change. At its heart is the magnetic Prince of Salina, torn between clinging to his family’s fading splendour and embracing the revolution reshaping his world. A lush, elegiac tale of power, pride, and the passing of an era.

11. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

If you’ve spent any time on BookTok, you’ve likely encountered this novel a dozen times. However, it is one of the best historical fiction books available, skilfully ushering generations of readers into the mix. Ageing Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo chooses unknown reporter Monique Grant to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. Monique, struggling both personally and professionally, seizes the chance to revive her career. As Evelyn recounts her rise in 1950s Hollywood, her seven marriages and a forbidden love, Monique becomes captivated by her story. But as the tale unfolds, both Monique and the reader can’t help but wonder… why did Evelyn choose her to tell this long-awaited story?

12. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter returns home to 1962 Mississippi, where her mother expects her to marry, and her beloved maid Constantine has mysteriously disappeared. Aibileen, a wise black maid, struggles with grief while raising her 17th white child, and her friend Minny, a fiery cook, lands a new job with a woman who harbours her own secrets. Despite their differences, the three women join forces on a risky, clandestine project. Together, they challenge the rigid rules of their town and the era they live in.

13. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Another BookTok favourite known for breaking everyone’s hearts. Weaving together Homeric myth, Ancient Greek history and romance, Miller's debut novel tells the story of the hero Achilles, as viewed through his lover Patroclus's eyes. The pair's journey from Phthia to the beaches of Troy makes for a brutal, heart-wrenching saga that delves into the Battle of Troy, the devastating impact of war, and how the term “Achilles heel” came to be.

14. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Anne Barrows

In post-war London, writer Juliet Ashton searches for her next book and unexpectedly finds it in a letter from a man on the island of Guernsey. As they exchange letters, she becomes enchanted by his world and the quirky, unforgettable members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. What began as a clever wartime alibi has evolved into a community filled with humour, heart and love for literature. This is one of the few historical novels on this list that won’t leave you sobbing!

15. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is sentenced to house arrest in Moscow’s grand Metropol Hotel for being an unrepentant aristocrat. A man of wit and learning who has never worked a day in his life, he is confined to a small attic room as Russia undergoes turbulent change. Yet within the hotel’s walls, Rostov discovers a richer, unexpected world of connection and emotional growth. His confinement becomes a journey of resilience, friendship, and self-discovery. At the core, this novel explores what it means to be a man of purpose.

16. The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

In 1947, American college student Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and banished to Europe to take care of her ‘little issue,’ but she is determined to find her cousin Rose, missing in Nazi-occupied France. Thirty years earlier, Eve Gardiner joins the war effort as a spy in enemy-occupied France, trained by the legendary Lili, code-named Alice. Haunted decades later by past betrayals, Eve lives in seclusion in London until Charlie arrives, setting them both on a dangerous mission to uncover the truth. A female-driven tale of courage, loyalty and the lasting impact of war.

17. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

In April 1942, Slovakian Jew Lale Sokolov is sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where his language skills earn him work as the camp’s tattooist, marking fellow prisoners. Over two and a half years, he witnesses unimaginable horrors but also extraordinary acts of courage, using his position to trade jewels and money for food to help others survive. One day, he meets a young woman named Gita and vows to survive the camp and marry her. The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a harrowing yet hopeful story of love, humanity and resilience in the darkest of times. Definitely keep a pack of tissues ready for this one!

18. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

We all know about the tragedy of the Titanic, and many know about the equally ill-fated Lusitania, but what about the single greatest tragedy in maritime history? On January 30, 1945, a German cruise liner that was supposed to ferry wartime personnel and refugees to safety was sunk by a Soviet submarine. More than 9,000 people, including 5,000 children, lost their lives. Sepetys takes you through this tragedy through fictionalised characters: Joana, a Lithuanian with nursing experience; Florian, a Prussian soldier fleeing the Nazis with stolen treasure; and Emilia, a Polish girl close to the end of her pregnancy. You’ll find yourself praying for a happy ending for at least one of these tragic yet historically accurate figures.

19. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Chemist Elizabeth Zott is no ordinary woman; she believes there’s no such thing as an average woman, even if her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute in the early 1960s doesn’t see it that way. The exception is Calvin Evans, a lonely, brilliant scientist who falls in love with her mind, proving that true chemistry can happen in more ways than one. Years later, Elizabeth is a single mother and the unexpected star of America’s favourite cooking show, Supper at Six, where her unconventional recipes secretly challenge women to rethink the status quo. Laugh-out-loud funny and sharply observant, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its remarkable protagonist.

20. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Two half-sisters, Effia and Esi, are born in 18-century Ghana but live vastly different lives; Effia marries an Englishman and resides in the luxurious Cape Coast Castle, while Esi is imprisoned beneath her in the dungeons and sold into the transatlantic slave trade. Homegoing follows Effia’s descendants through centuries of Ghanaian history and warfare, while Esi’s line navigates the horrors of American slavery, the Civil War, and the Great Migration, tracing their struggles up to the modern day. Yaa Gyasi’s debut novel is a powerful, sweeping epic that makes history visceral, delivering unforgettable characters whose lives are shaped by forces beyond their control. A masterful and unmissable reading experience, Homegoing cements Gyasi as an astonishingly gifted young writer.

21. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Cora is a young slave on a Georgia cotton plantation, an outcast even among her fellow Africans, facing a brutal path to womanhood. When Caesar tells her about the Underground Railroad, they risk everything to escape, but Cora kills a young white boy in the attempt and finds herself hunted. Their journey takes them through a network of secret tracks and tunnels, where each stop offers new dangers, from false havens to relentless pursuers like Ridgeway. Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad is both a gripping adventure of survival and a powerful meditation on America’s history of slavery and oppression.

22. The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

All’s fair in love and poison… right? One cold February evening in 1791, in a hidden apothecary shop tucked down a dark London alley, Nella awaits her newest customer. Once a respected healer, she now sells expertly disguised poisons to desperate women, but when her client turns out to be a clever 12-year-old named Eliza Fanning, an unlikely friendship sparks a chain of events that could destroy Nella’s world. In present-day London, historian Caroline Parcewell is reeling from her husband’s infidelity when she discovers an old apothecary vial near the Thames, linking her to the unsolved “apothecary murders” of centuries past. As Caroline delves deeper, the lives of three women across time collide in a shocking twist where not everyone will survive.

23. Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray

In 1919, amid the social and civil unrest sweeping America, Harlem becomes a beacon of creativity and Black pride, with music, theatre, fashion, and the arts flourishing. At the heart of this renaissance is Jessie Redmon Fauset, the new literary editor of the influential magazine The Crisis, tasked by W.E.B. Du Bois with discovering young writers destined to change the world. As Jessie nurtures talents like Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes, and Nella Larsen, the magazine thrives and her star rises—but her secret affair with Du Bois threatens everything she has built. Facing the pressures of racism, sexism, and personal ambition, Jessie must navigate the high stakes of love, power and her own legacy.

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