Top Ten Tuesday: Historical Fiction Books I’d Suggest to a Genre Newbie

By: Leah

Top Ten Tuesday used to be a weekly post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, but was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl. “It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.” This is definitely something I can understand and want to participate in.

Originally posted on Leah’s Books.

This week’s prompt is a genre-related freebie, where we get to pick a specific genre and then build a freebie around it. And while I read and post about fantasy a lot, I want to take it in a different direction this time. My sister-in-law was visiting me recently, and I was trying to get her into some new genres, and we decided on historical fiction, which gave me the topic idea for this week: Historical fiction books I’d suggest to someone new to the genre. 

When I suggest a book to someone, I try to take into account what they’d be most likely to enjoy. So I’m going to tailor this list based on how I’d make a recommendation. Here goes nothing:

1. For someone who likes a little magical realism or fantasy: This Rebel Heart by Katherine Locke. The story is set in post-WWII Hungary under Soviet rule, and it incorporates Jewish folklore into the tale as well.
2. For someone who likes the Roman Empire: Emperor’s Sword by Alex Gough. This series starter is set in Britannia, and follows a scout as he is inducted into the Arcani, the elite faction of assassins and spies and rises through the ranks.
3. For someone who likes Vikings and/or The Last Kingdom on Netflix: The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell. Cornwell transports us to 9th-10th century England as they battle the invasion of Danish Vikings, and the story centers on a young Saxon who is taken in by Vikings and raised by them.
4. For someone who likes learning about prehistoric times: The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel. This is an old series, but I haven’t found anything close to as engrossing as this story of a young woman facing hardships and experiencing successes as she makes her way alone in a tough world.
5. For lovers of ancient historical mysteries: Rebel Daughter by Lori Banov Kaufmann. This story follows a young Jewish woman who was enslaved during the Roman sack of Jerusalem in the first century, and was inspired by the real-life gravestone of a woman during that time.
6. For someone who likes Pompeii: The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper. This book really delves into the daily life of an enslaved prostitute in Pompeii, and the struggles of the women she’s enslaved with.
7. For fans of British history during the Middle Ages: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. This book is an absolute brick, but it’s surprisingly interesting and difficult to put down for a book that is about the building of a church (that is still standing in England today).
8. For someone interested in learning about African and African-American history: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. This book explores the differing lives of two African siblings—one who stays in Africa, and one who is captured by slave traders and brought to America, and it’s incredible.
9. For fans of the Russian Revolution: The Revolution of Marina M by Janet Fitch. This tells the story of an upper-class woman in Russia who goes through the Revolution and survives on her wits and some luck.
10. For someone interested in India: The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi. This book is about a young woman in 1950s Jaipur, trying to escape her abusive husband, earning her living doing henna for the city’s upper echelon of society, and toeing the line of all the social norms, when her delicate balancing act becomes too much.

What are some of your go-to recommendations for historical fiction books?