Hottest New Historical Fiction

While the market for historical fiction genre has slowed down a bit, there are still some wonderful titles publishing. I almost always enjoy the genre 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 I particularly enjoyed:

Follow Me to Africa by Penny Haw (comes out Feb. 25) – This fantastic book is historical fiction inspired by the story of Mary Leakey, who carved her own path to become one of the world's most distinguished paleoanthropologists. It is a dual timeline tale that explores the consequences of our choices, the wisdom that comes with time and reflection, and the relationships that make us who we are. The sense of place is outstanding; Haw transported me to the plains of Africa. This book is a great fit for fans of well-crafted historical fiction based on fact and trailblazing women.

Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray – Victoria Christopher Murray shines the light on Jessie Redmon Fauset, a woman whose accomplishments and life are unknown to many. A published author in her own right, Faust was the literary editor of The Crisis, the NAACP's magazine that published pieces by the foremost Black writers of the time, including Langston Hughes, Nella Larsen, and Countee Cullen. W.E.B. Dubois, a well-known civil rights activist, founded The Crisis and due to his affair with Jessie Fauset, appointed her to this position to keep her in his orbit.

While readers may not understand or relate to Jessie’s affair after reading this book and learning more about DuBois’s numerous affairs and behavior towards other he felt were his competition, her work with The Crisis is admirable and interesting and helped launch a generation of literary legends. Harlem during the Roaring '20s is a fascinating setting, and I loved getting a glimpse into the lives of people like Langston Hughes before they were well-established authors. This book is a good fit for anyone who likes to learn about someone forgotten by history as well as those who love to be transported to another time period.

Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp by Michelle Moran – This story of family, loss, and the difficult choices people sometimes have to make is a powerful reminder that the truth is usually more layered and nuanced than the stories brought to the screen in Hollywood. Moran’s historical fiction tale follows the life of the von Trapp family’s complicated matriarch through a dual timeline narrative that follows Maria’s life in Austria from her early years through meeting the von Trapps and the creation of the Broadway musical several decades later as Oscar Hammerstein works on the Broadway musical about the von Trapp family.

Readers will most likely be surprised to learn that Maria was the disciplinarian of the family, that she was not initially in love with Captain von Trapp but married him for the kids, and that the family did not escape in the night over the Alps to freedom. The details about her early years and how they informed her life as well as how she unsuccessfully petitioned Hammerstein to alter aspects of the Broadway musical are fascinating and kept me turning the pages. Moran includes an in-depth Author’s Note about her research as well as what happened to each von Trapp family member. Fans of The Sound of Music and historical fiction novels will love this one.

The Unexpected Diva by Tiffany L. Warren – Narrated in the first person, The Unexpected Diva is a fictionalized account of the life of Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, a Black opera singer in pre-Civil War America. Raised in the safety of Pennsylvania’s Quaker community, her life drastically changes when her white adoptive mother dies and her family disputes Eliza’s inheritance and wins. Her extraordinary three-octave voice allows her to defy societal norms to pursue her dream of becoming a professional opera singer, gaining acclaim as “the Black Swan” in the United States and Europe. While the book’s main focus is Eliza’s story, it also depicts what it was like for Black citizens in pre-Civil War America, regardless of where they lived.

Black patrons were often not allowed to attend Eliza’s concerts even in the North and, when they could, protestors were out in full force. Slave traders came from the southern states to trap slaves or other Black people who had fled the south – anyone who was Black (even free Blacks) could be grabbed by these traders and sold to plantations. Choosing to tell the story from Eliza’s perspective was effective, making the story feel deeply personal and allowing readers to glimpse how Eliza perceived her success and travails. This book will appeal to anyone who likes to learn about someone forgotten by history as well as those who love to be transported to another time period.

For more book recommendations and bookish thoughts, see Cindy’s monthly Buzz Reads column, her award-winning Thoughts from a Page Podcast or follow @ThoughtsFromaPage on Instagram.