Explore our curated collection of historical fiction book reviews and recommendations.
A top ten bestselling debut historical novel published by Hodder & Stoughton, The Girl Behind the Gates is based on a true story and follows seventeen-year-old Nora Jennings, whose life is upended by the psychiatric system of 1939 — a raw, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting work of historical fiction that draws on author Brenda Davies's career as a consultant psychiatrist.
Mar 17, 2026
First published in 1939 and rescued from obscurity by Charles Bukowski's championing of it four decades later, Ask the Dust is widely regarded as an American classic — the most celebrated novel of John Fante's career and a foundational text of Depression-era Los Angeles fiction.
Feb 18, 2026
Donna Balon's Sam Time: History Professor Slips into the Past and Befriends Ulysses S. Grant is a historical time-travel fiction novel published by Desert Day Press LLC in which history professor Samantha Hunter navigates two worlds — a lonely present and a vividly rendered 19th-century America — as her dream-fueled journeys bring her into the orbit of Ulysses S. Grant. Reviewers have praised its well-researched depiction of the Civil War era and its dual-timeline structure, making it a strong pick for fans of history-driven time-travel fiction.
Mar 14, 2026Search
Rating
Active Filters
Search
Rating
Active Filters
Showing 37 - 39 of 39 reviews
