“Anybody can make history; only a great man can write it.”
From casting readers off to a time long ago to those titles that cast a new light on an era only recently gone by, books set in the past are one of the most popular forms of fiction around. Why is that? Perhaps it has something to do with discovering how we got to where we are today, how lessons from the past can help shape a better future, or perhaps it’s just one of the best strategies we have for escaping the issues of today.
But, whilst the term ‘historical fiction’ immediately evokes images of romantic tales between two troubled classical-era heroes, the genre has seen an increasing amount of diversity from authors with tales from the less-represented parts of history. With that in mind, here are 13 of our most diverse and best 2022 historical fiction books.
Violeta – Isabel Allende
From the New York Times bestselling author of A Long Petal of the Sea, Chilean author Isabel Allende brings readers one of the most compelling pieces of literature 2022 has served up.
Violeta is the story of a young woman born in 1920 in what is arguably the most sweeping era of human history. With the effects of the Great War and Spanish Flu still sweeping her South American homeland, her century on the planet will see her go through upheavals, pain, loss and betrayals at the hands of another devastating global conflict and two worldwide pandemics.
And yet the novel told via a letter to the one person she loves more than anyone else is also an incredibly hopeful one, filled with resilience, grit and the sort of determination one can’t help but be inspired by.
Mademoiselle Revolution – Zoe Sivak
One of the most compelling historical biracial books ever written, Zoe Sivak’s Mademoiselle Revolution is a tale of Sylvie de Rosiers, the daughter of a wealthy plantation owner and an enslaved black woman in the French colony of Saint-Domingue.
Having never been truly accepted on the islands, Sylvie is forced to flee Haiti for Paris when the Haitian Revolution kickstarts a new era for the New World. However, upon arriving in Europe, she finds herself trading one revolution for another as the terror of Robespierre grips France. A powerful tale of self-reflection and the dangers of complicity, as Sylvie grows closer to the Reign of Terror she must choose whether to become a pawn for terror or risk becoming another one of its many victims.
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The Magnolia Palace – Fiona Davis
Get ready to dive into a fascinating story of love, betrayal, and intrigue with The Magnolia Palace, written by New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis. This captivating tale takes readers on a journey through the walls of one of New York City’s most iconic landmarks, exploring the secrets that lie within.
Readers follow the lives of two stunning models, Lillian Carter and Veronica Weber, separated by fifty years, as they each navigate their unique challenges. When Veronica loses her job at a Vogue shoot in the historic Frick mansion turned museum, she stumbles upon hidden messages that unveil a web of conspiracies and secrets from the past. As she follows the clues, she not only uncovers the truth behind a decades-old murder but also discovers a way to solve her financial struggles.
With stolen jewels, romantic trysts, and family feuds set against the backdrop of unimaginable wealth, The Magnolia Palace is a must-read for anyone who loves a good mystery.
Our Last Days in Barcelona – Chanel Cleeton
An NPR Best Book of 2022, Chanel Cleeton’s Our Last Days in Barcelona is a historical fiction novel that follows a mother and daughter pushing back against the stern expectations their family have put on them.
The dual-timeline setting of the story helps demonstrate the strength of these two female protagonists and the difficulties they face in following their hearts or their loved ones.
The German Wife – Kelly Rimmer
Kelly Rimmer, the bestselling author of The Warsaw Orphan, returns with one of the best 2022 historical fiction novels based on fascinating real-world events. When a radical party sweeps their way into power in 1930s Germany, Jürgen and Sofia von Meyer Rhodes find themselves benefitting from Jürgen’s rocket program. For the price of security, however, they are forced to watch on as their country morphs into something grotesque, and then practically destroyed in the embers of war.
Fast forward twenty years, and Jürgen is one of the many Germans pardoned for his role in WW2 and has been working on the United States’ fledgeling space program. But, despite seeing her new life in America as a means of exorcising the ghosts from her past, the natives in the States are far from accommodating to Sofia and some venomous rumours about her involvement in the war soon threaten to turn distrust into disaster.
I Must Betray You – Ruta Sepetys
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray Ruta Sepetys presents a gut-wrenching look at Communist Romania in I Must Betray You.
Set in 1989 during the dying days of Nicolae Ceaușescu’s tyrannical regime, this 2022 historical fiction novel follows seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu. The young man dreams of becoming a writer, but the repressive Communist state doesn’t allow for such free thinking. When Cristian is blackmailed into becoming an informer for the corrupt police, he is forced into a potentially deadly decision to expose the evilest dictator in Eastern Europe to the world, albeit potentially at the expense of his own safety.
The School Of Mirrors – Eva Stachniak
Transport yourself back in time to eighteenth-century France with The School of Mirrors, a scintillating and glamorous tale following the captivating mother-daughter duo, Veronique and Marie-Louise. As the country wavers between decadence and intrigue, to all-out bloody revolution, readers are taken on a journey of passion, danger and survival. Veronique quickly becomes one of the King’s favourite mistresses, living a life of silk gowns and fine food in Versailles’ School of Mirrors.
However, after giving birth to Marie-Louise, she is sent away and forced to marry a wealthy baron. Upon her return, Marie-Louise has grown into an accomplished and caring midwife. But, Veronique’s arrival coincides with France slipping head-first into a five-year-long revolution, where bearing any relation to the monarchy carries with it all sorts of dangers.
Black Cake – Charmaine Wilkerson
Black Cake is the debut novel from Caribbean-American writer Charmaine Wilkerson and is a beautifully-constructed tale of how the betrayals and secrets of one family’s matriarch can shape whole relationships.
The story is set in present-day California and follows two siblings as they receive a strange inheritance from their mother: a black cake with a long history tied to their family. From beyond the grave via a leftover voice recording, the two siblings will discover the secrets from their lineage that will have an extraordinary impact on their relationship.
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Groupies – Sarah Priscus
Is there an era of history that is as stylish as the rock ‘n roll heyday during the 1970s?
It is exactly that point that Sarah Priscus has based her Groupies novel around, following the story of a rock-obsessed young woman named Faun Novak. One part a dazzling coming-of-age story mixed with a haunting look at the darker sides that come with fame and fortune, Groupies follows Faun as she tags along with a hot up-and-coming band and becomes increasingly immersed in the true rock and roll lifestyle, as well as all the perils that come along with it.
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A Ballad of Love And Glory – Reyna Grande
The Mexican-American War is one of those conflicts that is often swept under the carpet by historians, but it is that war Reyna Grande paints oh so beautifully in A Ballad of Love and Glory.
The novel follows a Mexican army nurse and an Irish soldier fighting on the side of Mexico, whose lives become intertwined over the course of the conflict. Inspired by true events and true figures, they are forced to fight not only for the cause they believe in but also for their own love for one another.
The Last House On The Street – Diane Chamberlain
Serial bestselling author Diane Chamberlain presents one of the most masterfully-constructed tales of history, social justice and mystery in The Last House on the Street.
This 2022 historical fiction novel follows protagonist Kayla Carter who, after the death of her husband, is warned against moving into her new home in North Carolina. Told across dual time periods, this thrilling story contains intrigue, mystery, shocking violence and prejudice, as well as the forbidden love and struggle for justice between two families.
The Christie Affair – Nina de Gramont
Agatha Christie’s infamous eleven-day disappearance is one of history’s greatest-ever mysteries. Why would the most accomplished mystery fiction author conjure up something that wouldn’t have looked out of place as the premise for one of her works?
That is the exact question author Nina de Gramont taps into with her 2022 historical fiction novel The Christie Affair. A Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick and a New York Times bestseller, this quirky title is filled with romance, intrigue and a scorned maid that attempts to answer the question: what happened to Agatha Christie?
The Diamond Eye – Kate Quinn
Based on a true story, Kate Quinn’s The Diamond Eye is the story of how one quiet bookworm became one of World War Two’s deadliest snipers.
Ukrainian history student Mila Pavlichenko’s life revolves around two things: her son, and her library. Hitler’s invasion of the country through 1941’s Operation Barbarossa, however, sees her armed with a rifle and quickly become a legend only known as the ‘Lady Death’. This thrilling tale of heroism born out of desperation sheds light on one of the most influential females in history, with Lady Death’s influence on history absolutely impossible to overstate.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
