Top new historical-fiction books in February 2024
Last updated:
February 29, 2024
February 2024 featuring new releases by Kristin Hannah, Tommy Orange, Katherine Arden, Kelley McNeil, Allison Pataki, Yangsze Choo, Laurie R. King, Alan Gratz, Gian Sardar, Charlie N. Holmberg and many more.
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The Women by Kristin Hannah
The missing. The forgotten. The brave… The women.From master storyteller Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds, comes the story of a turbulent, transformative era in America: the 1960s...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · war · literary-fiction · womens-fiction · feminism · audiobook · family · 20th-century -
![Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange]()
Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange
The eagerly awaited follow-up to Pulitzer Prize-finalist Tommy Orange’s breakout best seller There There —winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award, the John Leonard Prize, the American Book Award, and one of the New York Times 10 Best Books of 2018— Wandering Stars traces the legacies of the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 and the Carlisle Indian Industrial School through to the shattering aftermath of...north-america · usa · colorado · historical-fiction · fiction · literary-fiction · historical · indigenous-mc · poc-author · poc-mc -
![The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden]()
The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden
During the Great War, a combat nurse searches for her brother, believed dead in the trenches despite eerie signs that suggest otherwise, in this hauntingly beautiful historical novel with a speculative twist from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the NightingaleJanuary 1918...historical-fiction · fantasy · historical · fiction · paranormal · ghosts · ww1 · horror · war · gothic -
![Mayluna by Kelley McNeil]()
Mayluna by Kelley McNeil
A legendary band, an iconic lead singer, and their mysterious connection to a woman whose love helped create the music of a generation. Timing is everything in a powerful novel about fate, regret, and moving on by the author of A Day Like This.In the 1990s, Carter Wills was the lead singer of the English alt-rock band Mayluna, securing his place among music legends... -
![Finding Margaret Fuller by Allison Pataki]()
Finding Margaret Fuller by Allison Pataki
An epic reimagining of the life of Margaret Fuller—America’s forgotten leading lady and the central figure of a movement that defined a nation—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post. Massachusetts, 1836... -
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![The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo]()
The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo
Some people think foxes are similar to ghosts because we go around collecting qi , or life force, but nothing could be further than the truth. We are living creatures, just like you, only usually better looking . . .Manchuria, 1908.A young woman is found frozen in the snow...historical-fiction · fantasy · fiction · mystery · historical · sci-fi · spooky · myths · literary-fiction · book -
![The Lantern's Dance by Laurie R. King]()
The Lantern's Dance by Laurie R. King
Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes are caught up in a case that turns intensely personal, shining light on a past that even Holmes himself did not suspectAfter their recent adventures in Transylvania, Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes look forward to spending some time getting to know Holmes' son, the artist Damian Adler, and his family...mystery · historical-fiction · fiction · suspense · crime · historical · female-mc · cozy · book · adult -
![Heroes: A Novel of Pearl Harbor by Alan Gratz]()
Heroes: A Novel of Pearl Harbor by Alan Gratz
A new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Alan Gratz ( Refugee ; Ground Zero ; Two Degrees ) is a major publishing moment. A new World War II novel from Alan Gratz? That's even bigger! Get ready for an action-packed, inventive, and powerful take on the attack on Pearl Harbor, as only Alan Gratz can tell it. December 6, 1941: Best friends Frank and Stanley have it good...historical-fiction · middle-grade · young-adult · historical · fiction · war · children-books · ww2 · survival · friendship -
![When the World Goes Quiet by Gian Sardar]()
When the World Goes Quiet by Gian Sardar
In the final days of World War I, an aspiring artist’s courageous journey is just beginning in a powerful novel about love, danger, and survival by the author of Take What You Can Carry.It’s 1918 in German-occupied Bruges, Belgium. With luck, Evelien will make it to the end of the war and be given what she was a prized painting in exchange for safeguarding her employer’s possessions...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · ww1 · war · ww2 · literary-fiction · friendship · 20th-century · romance -
![Boy of Chaotic Making by Charlie N. Holmberg]()
Boy of Chaotic Making by Charlie N. Holmberg
A boy like no other embarks on a transformative journey of magic and self-discovery in the next enchanting Whimbrel House novel by Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg. Merritt Fernsby’s life has changed considerably since he inherited Whimbrel House. He’s engaged to Hulda Larkin, who opened his eyes to the uncanny...fantasy · historical-fiction · magic · fiction · magical-realism · fantasy-of-manners · myths · historical · gaslamp · industrial-era -
![Kindling by Traci Chee]()
Kindling by Traci Chee
From bestselling and award-winning author Traci Chee comes a standalone fantasy set against a war-ravaged world where kindling warfare—the use of elite, magic-wielding teenage soldiers—has been outlawed. In this rich and evocative novel, seven kindlings search for purpose and identity as they prepare for one final battle. For fans of the classic films Seven Samurai and The Magnificent Seven...fantasy · young-adult · historical-fiction · high-fantasy · lgbtq · magic · historical · audiobook · epic · war -
![Sisters of Fortune by Anna Lee Huber]()
Sisters of Fortune by Anna Lee Huber
Based on the true story of the Fortune sisters, three young women each at a crossroads when they boarded the RMS Titanic in the spring of 1912 – and how that fateful maiden voyage would change their lives in profound and unexpected ways...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · family · womens-fiction · young-adult · 20th-century · friendship · female-mc · book -
![All My Secrets by Lynn Austin]()
All My Secrets by Lynn Austin
Bestselling author Lynn Austin returns with a luminous work of historical fiction set amid the opulence of Gilded Age New York, where three generations of women in one family must reckon with the choices they have made and their hopes for the future.New York, 1898...urban · new-york-state · romance · historical-fiction · historical · christian · fiction · wholesome · mystery · family -
![The Atlas Maneuver by Steve Berry]()
The Atlas Maneuver by Steve Berry
From celebrated New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry comes the latest Cotton Malone adventure, in which Cotton unravels a mystery from World War II involving a legendary lost treasure, Yamashita's Gold, worth billions.1945. In the waning months of World War II, Japan hid vast quantities of gold and other stolen valuables in boobytrapped underground caches all across the Philippines...fiction · mystery · action-adventure · historical-fiction · historical · ww2 · realistic · audiobook · crime · thriller -
![To Woo and to Wed by Martha Waters]()
To Woo and to Wed by Martha Waters
The final installment in the Regency Vows series follows the heir to a dukedom and a young widow, once very much in love, as they reunite years later to fake an engagement for the benefit of her sister. West, the Marquess of Weston, and Sophie, Lady Fitzwilliam Bridewell, have lately been spending a considerable amount of time together. But West and Sophie are not new acquaintances...romance · historical-fiction · historical · fiction · industrial-era · regency · humor · book · adult -
![What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher]()
What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher
The follow-up to T. Kingfisher’s bestselling gothic novella, What Moves the Dead .Retired soldier, Alex Easton, returns in a horrifying new adventure.After their terrifying ordeal at the Usher manor, Alex Easton feels as if they just survived another war...horror · fantasy · gothic · historical-fiction · fiction · historical · lgbtq · paranormal · spooky · mystery -
![While the City Sleeps by Elizabeth Camden]()
While the City Sleeps by Elizabeth Camden
Katherine Schneider's workaday life as a dentist in 1913 New York is upended when a patient reveals details of a deadly plot while under the influence of laughing gas. As she is plunged into danger, she seeks help from the dashing Lieutenant Jonathan Birch, a police officer she has long admired from afar...romance · historical-fiction · christian · mystery · fiction · historical · womens-fiction · family · crime · spirituality -
![In Want of a Viscount by Lorraine Heath]()
In Want of a Viscount by Lorraine Heath
How far would an abandoned son go to get revenge? New York Times bestselling author Lorraine Heath’s next novel in The Masters of Seduction series where the price is always high… American Leonora Garrison has come to England in desperate search of investors to keep her family business afloat but instead finds surprising pleasure when she visits an exclusive ladies’ club and dares to kiss a...romance · historical · fiction · industrial-era · victorian · historical-fiction · regency · audiobook · female-author · female-mc -
![Queens of London by Heather Webb]()
Queens of London by Heather Webb
"Looting, lying, and the letter of the Queens of London delivers a rollicking ride through the criminal underbelly of post-WWI London. Gritty at times and tender at others, Queens of London unmasks the most lawless―and likeable―gang of women you've never heard of...historical-fiction · historical · fiction · mystery · literary-fiction · family · female-mc · book · adult -
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![The Last Day in Paris: A totally heartbreaking WW2 historical novel by Suzanne Kelman]()
The Last Day in Paris: A totally heartbreaking WW2 historical novel by Suzanne Kelman
“No, Mama, please don’t make me leave!” Sophie cries, clutching her teddy bear as her blue eyes fill with tears. “I’d rather be here in Paris with you, than far away somewhere safe…”Paris, 1940: All over Paris, families are being pulled from their beds in the middle of the night. And ever since her husband was shot in cold blood, Brigitte Goldstein has known she is running out of time...historical-fiction · ww2 · contemporary · fiction · female-mc · romance · literary-fiction · 20th-century · book · adult -
![Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin]()
Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin
As the German army invades the Netherlands in 1940, Aleida van der Zee Martens escapes to London to wait out the Occupation. Separated from her three-year-old son, Theo, in the process, the young widow desperately searches for her little boy even as she works for an agency responsible for evacuating children to the countryside...romance · historical-fiction · christian · historical · ww2 · fiction · mystery · 20th-century · spirituality · book -
![A Lark's Conceit by Lynn Messina]()
A Lark's Conceit by Lynn Messina
Verity Lark is in a new flap!Bedeviled by Colson Hardwicke’s treatment—summarily dumping her via tersely worded message!—Verity Lark is lying awake in her bed seething over his behavior when she hears a floorboard creak. Immediately alert to the presence of a late-night intruder, she deftly thwarts the attack. Taking her would-be kidnapper captive is easy...romance · mystery · fiction · industrial-era · regency · historical-fiction · cozy · historical · law-enforcement · humor -
![The Only Light in London by Lily Graham]()
The Only Light in London by Lily Graham
She took him in when no one else would. She didn’t expect to fall in love… London, 1939. When Finley offers her spare room to refugee Sebastien, she sees relief in his haunted eyes. Forced to flee the hatred in Germany, Sebastien has been desperately lonely in his adopted country...historical-fiction · ww2 · fiction · female-mc · epic · romance · literary-fiction · historical · 20th-century · book -
![To Catch a Firefly by Emmy Sanders]()
To Catch a Firefly by Emmy Sanders
He was my beginning. And my never-ending. EllisThere’s a lot I’ve never told my best friend. The fact that I love him. That I miss him every day he’s gone. That, sometimes, I ache for him with a ferocity that leaves me breathless.Lucky Buchanan tore into my life as a boy, wild and daring, my opposite in every way. He drew me in, stole my heart without trying...romance · mlm · contemporary · lgbtq · disability · mental-illness · friends-to-lovers · small-town · slow-burn · angst -
![The American Daughters by Maurice Carlos Ruffin]()
The American Daughters by Maurice Carlos Ruffin
A gripping historical novel about a spirited young girl who joins a sisterhood of Black women working together to undermine the Confederates—from the award-winning author of We Cast a ShadowThe American Daughters follows Ady, a curious, sharp-witted girl who is enslaved alongside her mother, Sanite to a businessman in the French Quarter of New Orleans...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · civil-war · family · poc-author · slavery · poc-mc · black-mc · female-mc -
![My Skin Begs You Please by Leta Blake]()
My Skin Begs You Please by Leta Blake
Mitchell "Minty" Arnold receives some devastating news, setting the light-hearted optimist on a dark and self-destructive path. Luke Montgomery has experience with pain and suffering. In fact, he's a professional at it. With Minty's behavior escalating dangerously, Luke takes it upon himself to help Minty indulge his self-destructive urges in a safe and sane way...romance · mlm · dark · lgbtq · university · contemporary · age-gap · lgbtqia-hate · disability · family -
![The Rumor Game by Thomas Mullen]()
The Rumor Game by Thomas Mullen
A determined reporter and a reluctant FBI agent face off against fascist elements in World War II-era Boston.June, 1943. Wartime tensions are running high, and an atmosphere of distrust and unease is dividing friends and neighbors...historical-fiction · fiction · mystery · historical · suspense · dark · ww2 · organized-crime · crime · 20th-century -
![Night for Day by Roselle Lim]()
Night for Day by Roselle Lim
Two people destined to be together, but to never see each other again, fight against the greatest odds in this powerful and moving fantasy novel by critically acclaimed author Roselle Lim.Exes Ward Dunbar and Camille Buhay thought they would never see each other again. They had broken up to pursue their dream jobs on opposite sides of the country—her to New York City, and him to Los Angeles...romance · fantasy · fiction · historical · historical-fiction · coming-of-age · sci-fi · paranormal · cyberpunk · urban-fantasy -
![The Trouble with You by Ellen Feldman]()
The Trouble with You by Ellen Feldman
In an exuberant post WWII New York City, a young woman is forced to reinvent her life and choose between the safe and the ethical, and the men who represent each..historical-fiction · womens-fiction · fiction · ww2 · mystery · historical · family · 20th-century · book · adult -
![An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson]()
An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson
Sumptuous and addictive, An Education in Malice is a dark academia tale of blood, secrets and insatiable hungers from Sunday Times bestselling author S.T. Gibson, author of the cult hit A Dowry of Blood.Deep in the forgotten hills of Massachusetts stands Saint Perpetua's College. Isolated and ancient, it is not a place for timid girls...romance · fantasy · horror · gothic · vampires · wlw · lgbtq · historical-fiction · dark-academia · historical -
![The Absinthe Underground by Jamie Pacton]()
The Absinthe Underground by Jamie Pacton
Moulin Rouge meets Holly Black in a thrilling sapphic friends-to-lovers romantasy!For Sybil Clarion, the Belle Époque city of Severon is a wild, romantic dream, filled with cafés, cabarets, and glittering nightclubs. Eager to embrace the city’s freedom after running away from home, she’s traded high-society soirées for empty pockets and barren cabinets...romance · fantasy · wlw · lgbtq · young-adult · historical-fiction · historical · fae · fiction · lesbian-mc -
![The Thorn and the Rose by Emma V. Leech]()
The Thorn and the Rose by Emma V. Leech
To be revealed..romance · historical-fiction · historical · fiction · industrial-era · victorian · regency · book · adult -
![The Turtle House by Amanda Churchill]()
The Turtle House by Amanda Churchill
“A heartbreakingly resonant debut, The Turtle House is a tender, big-hearted story about women, family, and the complicated history of Texas. These characters, and their tentative, flawed stumblings toward grace, will stay with me.”—Elizabeth Wetmore, author of Valentine“Sweeping yet intimate, Amanda Churchill’s Turtle House spans cultures and continents...romance · historical-fiction · fiction · literary-fiction · historical · ww2 · audiobook · family · friendship · womens-fiction -
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![The Ark and the Dove by Jill Eileen Smith]()
The Ark and the Dove by Jill Eileen Smith
Zara and Noah have walked together with the Creator for their entire lives, and they have done their best in an increasingly wicked and defiant world to raise their three sons to follow in their footsteps. It has been a challenge--and it's about to get much, much harder...romance · christian · historical-fiction · historical · fiction · wholesome · family · ancient-civilization · spirituality · book -
![The Fallen Woman's Daughter by Michelle Cox]()
The Fallen Woman's Daughter by Michelle Cox
When eight-year-old Nora arrives at the Park Ridge School for Girls in 1932, she is sure there's been some mistake. She can't imagine why she and her little sister, Patsy, were torn from their mother only to be subjected to the cruel whims of the house matron, Mrs. Morris. When their mother fails to rescue them week after week-and Mrs...historical-fiction · family · secrets · marriage · grief · friendship · fiction · death · betrayal · abuse -
![Eynhallow by Tim McGregor]()
Eynhallow by Tim McGregor
ORKNEY ISLANDS, 1797 – Agnes Tulloch feels a little cheated. This windswept place is not the island paradise her husband promised it to be when they wed. Now with four young children, she struggles to provide for her family while her husband grows increasingly distant.When a stranger comes ashore to rent an abandoned cottage, Agnes and the other islanders are abuzz with curiosity...horror · historical-fiction · gothic · fiction · retellings · dark · historical · sci-fi · body-horror · suspense -
![My Beloved Life by Amitava Kumar]()
My Beloved Life by Amitava Kumar
An exceptionally moving novel that traces the arc of a man's life from his 1935 birth in a small village in India to his death from COVID-19 in 2020Jadunath Kunwar's beginnings are humble, even inauspicious. While pregnant, his mother nearly dies from a cobra bite--and this is only the first of many challenges in store for Jadu... -
![Burma Sahib by Paul Theroux]()
Burma Sahib by Paul Theroux
From the acclaimed author of The Mosquito Coast and The Bad Angel Brothers comes a riveting new novel exploring one of English literature’s most beloved and controversial figures—George Orwell—and the early years as an officer in colonial Burma that transformed him from Eric Blair, the British Raj policeman, into Orwell the anticolonial writer... -
![Betting Against The Scoundrel by Mariah Stone]()
Betting Against The Scoundrel by Mariah Stone
"I'll be your scoundrel, not your hero."Broken and devastated, the former Duke of Grandhampton, Lord Spencer Seaton, returns home from the war to find he has lost everything. His only goal is to exact vengeance upon the man who took everything from him.Nothing will stop Spencer... except, Miss Joanna Digby—intelligent, cunning, and mysterious...romance · mystery · historical · enemies-to-lovers · forced-proximity · female-mc · angst · industrial-era · regency · cozy -
![Island Witch by Amanda Jayatissa]()
Island Witch by Amanda Jayatissa
Inspired by Sri Lankan folklore, award-winning author Amanda Jayatissa turns her feverish, Gothic-tinged talents to late 19th century Sri Lanka where the daughter of a traditional demon-priest—relentlessly bullied by peers and accused of witchcraft herself—tries to solve the mysterious attacks that have been terrorizing her coastal village...horror · historical-fiction · gothic · mystery · fiction · fantasy · historical · witches-wizards · poc-mc · death
