My favorites: historical fiction
Hello everyone, and welcome back to the blog!
I’ve been meaning to add to my “Favorites” series, where I talk about my favorite titles in different genres. In today’s post, I wanted to tackle one of my favorite genres of all time, historical fiction. This genre has been close to my heart for as long as I can remember, and my own novel being rooted in historical fiction makes it even more special to me. There’s something so interesting in the way fiction can be so inherently rooted in historical fact while simultaneously feeling so new and escapist. It must be the idea that while it is based in reality, it’s not a reality I have ever experienced, and therefore it can feel just as escapist as fantasy, sometimes.
I think the genre does a wonderful job of producing characters that stick with you for a long time after you’ve been introduced to them. They are often characters with lots of heart, courage, and persistence in the face of dangerous situations. The odds are almost always stacked against them, and that makes us root for them even more. There is a sense of empowerment that comes from reading historical fiction, and most of the time I finish books in this genre and feel a sense of hope for the future—if these characters could find clarity and perserverence during important (and sometimes devestating) times in history, there’s a good chance I can do the same in this current and tumultuous society (we all can, actually).
Without further ado, here are my top picks in historical fiction, in no particular order:
1) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
This novel has “classic” status at this point, in my opinion. It is so timeless and powerful. The book follows a young girl named Liesel Meminger as she navigates growing up in Nazi Germany. The book is narated by a personified form of Death—it’s strongest selling point, honestly. Markus Zusak is a true master of this genre. You should check him out if you haven’t before.
2) The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff
I don’t know about you all, but I’m a sucker for resistance stories, especially if they feature strong and memorable females. Pam Jenoff is the queen of the feminist resistance novel, in my opinion. I loved this book—it truly is so interesting, and the characters stayed with me for a long time after I finished it. The historical backdrop is WWII: the stakes are high and the emotions are poignant. Highly recommend.
3) Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Growing up, this was my favorite book. It was written for young adults, but I think its power would easily resonate with adults, too. I’ve read it, like, five times over. The story follows a young girl named Esperanza, who lives a very rich and privilaged life with her family in Mexico until bandits attack her family’s estate and kill her father. Left with nothing, Esperanza and her mother must illegally travel to California to work in the migrant labor camps. It is an emotional and hopeful novel about the power of family and friends in hard times.
4) Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
I’ve reviewed this novel on my Instagram already, but not on the blog specifically. This is a novel that follows the Shakespeare family, but the most well-known member takes a backseat to let the others in his family shine, particularly his wife and his son. The writing is stunning, and it has what I believe is one of the best depictions of motherhood/love and grief of a mother I’ve seen. It is heartbreaking and meloncholy at times, but on the whole is beautiful.
5) Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
This is another wonderful novel depicting the time period in America when the Jim Crow laws were still very much in effect, even though the novel takes place in the American South in the 1940s. It talks important issues like race and social class, and they affect all of us. This book made me angry at times, as it should have. It talks about an important and often overlooked time in America’s history. Worth the read, for sure.
6) Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
This book, I’m well aware, is not for everybody. It is very unique in that is written in a modernist style that hinges on the “stream of consciousness” narative style. There is very little punctuation or typical grammar conventions, but that is entirely purposeful. I think it’s truly brilliant, and creates a narrative voice that is very hard to forget. Virgina Woolf is one of the best writers of the 20th century for a reason, after all. While this novel is set during wartime, it focuses on way life changes and stays the same for the people at home, not on the front. It’s a great study into the human condition, social class, and how society treats people that don’t fit the mold.
7) The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom
This novel is written like a biography of sorts, and you’ll almost forget that Frankie Presto wasn’t a real person. The book follows Frankie’s entire life from birth to death—detailing his childhood as a poor boy who loved the guitar to a international Elvis-esqe megastar. It is heartfelt and powerful, and detials the power of human connection.
8) All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Anthony Doerr is one of my favorite authors. I love the way he plays with multiple perspectives in his works. This is a wonderful book that features a protagonist who is blind. The writing leans on sensory language so much because of this—Doerr’s descriptions of smell, touch, and sound are sublime.
9) Lovely War by Julie Berry
This novel played a huge role in influencing my own. It is narrated by the gods, and it packs a massive punch. This is another novel that masterfully plays with perspective. I’m a sucker for that kind of thing, if it wasn’t obvious by now.
10) The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Lastly, this novel is one that has stayed with me ever since I read it when I was fifteen. It is set in Afghanistan during the end of the monarchy and the rise/fall of the Taliban. It feels a lot like realistic fiction, especially because of recent events in the Middle East, but it is grounded in a really important time in history. It follows two boys as they grow up in this war-torn place. It has so much heart, and it really helped inform me about that place and time period, which I didn’t know a lot about before I read it.
Alright, that’s all for now. I hope you try out some of these books! Let me know what you think of them, and as always, thank you for reading!
Fashionably yours,
Hanna