Monday, April 13, 2026

This month’s best new historical fiction

 
Readworthy by BookBub
This Month’s Best New Historical Fiction
 
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Book cover for Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict
Travel to Egypt in the pages of this sweeping New York Times bestseller!
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • From the author of The Only Woman in the Room and coauthor of The Personal Librarian, praised for her “delightful blend of historical fiction and suspense” (People)
  • As Lady Evelyn Herbert sets out to uncover the lost tomb of woman pharaoh Hatshepsut, she risks everything to unearth what happened to the forgotten ruler — and rewrite both of their legacies
  • “Marie Benedict always shines when it comes to illuminating lost women of the past, and Daughter of Egypt is no exception!” (Kate Quinn)
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Media mentions for Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict MEDIA MENTIONS: TODAY Show, People, Indie Next List, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist
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Amazon Other formats and retailers
Book cover for The Shock of the Light by Lori Inglis Hall
During World War II, twins embark down different paths… but only one returns home
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • Rave reviews from M. L. Stedman, Kate Quinn, and Pam Jenoff, who says, “Fans of All the Light We Cannot See and The Nightingale would be well-served to reach for The Shock of the Light
  • As Theo faces peril in the skies as an RAF pilot, Tessa takes risks of her own as a secret operative in occupied France
  • “Beautifully constructed and profoundly moving… An astonishing achievement” (New York Times bestselling author Lauren Grodstein)
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Media mentions for The Shock of the Light by Lori Inglis Hall MEDIA MENTIONS: People, Good Housekeeping, The Times, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist
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Amazon Other formats and retailers
Book cover for The Beheading Game by Rebecca Lehmann
The day after her execution, Anne Boleyn wakes up — and embarks on a quest for justice
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • After escaping the Tower of London, Anne sets out to kill King Henry VIII before he can marry Jane Seymour, Anne’s former lady-in-waiting
  • “Brilliantly imagined, stylishly written, satisfyingly plotted, full of delicious surprises” (Kirkus Reviews starred review)
  • This “truly bold” revisionist history (The Boston Globe) is a can’t-miss for fans of Tudor fiction
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Media mentions for The Beheading Game by Rebecca Lehmann MEDIA MENTIONS: The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, Oprah Daily, Entertainment Weekly, The Times, The Boston Globe, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Literary Hub
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Amazon Other formats and retailers
Book cover for No Friend to This House by Natalie Haynes
The story of Medea comes to life like never before in this dazzling retelling
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • One of March’s must-read books, according to Time
  • As priestess and witch Medea is drawn into Jason’s quest for the Golden Fleece, she grapples with the dangerous weight of love, loyalty, and vengeance
  • From the author of Stone Blind and A Thousand Ships, who counts Madeline Miller among her fans
  • “Haynes excels at retelling classic myths, focusing on the women who have been sidelined, misunderstood, and maligned” (Library Journal)
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Media mentions for No Friend to This House by Natalie Haynes MEDIA MENTIONS: Time Magazine, The Guardian, Library Journal, Booklist, Literary Hub
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Amazon Other formats and retailers
Book cover for The Hired Man by Sandra Dallas
Fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Four Winds will be riveted by this Dust Bowl tale
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • In 1937, high school student Martha Helen’s mother decides to take in an enigmatic drifter named Otis — a decision that leads to suspicion, prejudice, and murder in their small Colorado town
  • “Readers who enjoy historical stories with a dash of mystery will race through this” (Publishers Weekly)
  • A New York Times bestselling author delivers a novel filled with atmosphere and well-researched period detail
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Media mentions for The Hired Man by Sandra Dallas MEDIA MENTIONS: Publishers Weekly, Booklist
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Amazon Other formats and retailers
Book cover for The House of Hidden Letters by Izzy Broom
Would you buy a run-down cottage on a Greek island for just one euro?
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • Skye and the other housing lottery winners are the first residents of these homes since the 1940s — and soon, they find mysterious letters that illuminate life on the island during World War II
  • “A moving story of love and loss, of courage and kindness, of how the light of hope will shine through the darkest of times” (Chris Whitaker, author of All the Colors of the Dark)
  • Armchair travelers will love this sparkling journey to small-town Greece
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Media mentions for The House of Hidden Letters by Izzy Broom MEDIA MENTIONS: Library Journal, Booklist
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Amazon Other formats and retailers
Book cover for Son of Nobody by Yann Martel
This inventive retelling of the Trojan War is ‘a brilliant novel of ideas’ (Kirkus Reviews)
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • The Booker Prize–winning author of Life of Pi delivers his first work of fiction in 10 years!
  • An ancient Greek epic about a man who left his family to fight in Troy is lost to time — until 30 centuries later, when an Oxford academic discovers it and finds connections to his own life
  • NPR recommends this “epic, beguiling tale of past and present” (Financial Times)
Learn more...
Media mentions for Son of Nobody by Yann Martel MEDIA MENTIONS: NPR, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, People, Financial Times, The Guardian, Indie Next List, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews
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Amazon Other formats and retailers
Book cover for The Moonlight Runner by Karen Robards
‘A gripping portrait of the final years before Ireland’s 1921 independence’ (Publishers Weekly)
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • When nurse Rynn is swept up in the Irish rebellion, she risks everything to fight for her country’s cause
  • Heather Morris, author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, recommends this novel that’s “beautifully written with believable dialogue… [and] three-dimensional, compelling characters”
  • The Moonlight Runner sweeps readers from the battlefields of Ireland to the ballrooms of London in a story of courage, sacrifice, and true love” (Catherine Coulter)
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Media mentions for The Moonlight Runner by Karen Robards MEDIA MENTIONS: Publishers Weekly, Booklist
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Amazon Other formats and retailers
Book cover for The Last Woman of Warsaw by Judy Batalion
Pam Jenoff recommends this ‘powerhouse’ novel set in 1930s Poland
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • When a legendary artist vanishes, Fanny and Zosia — two women from very different worlds — forge an unlikely alliance to unravel the truth
  • From a New York Times bestselling author
  • The Last Woman of Warsaw is a genuine masterpiece, and Judy Batalion is a genius” (Lynda Cohen Loigman, author of The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern)
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Last Woman of Warsaw by Judy Batalion MEDIA MENTION: Publishers Weekly
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Amazon Other formats and retailers
Book cover for Elizabeth and Marilyn by Julie Owen Moylan
When Queen Elizabeth meets Marilyn Monroe, both of their lives transform forever
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • Inspired by real-life events: In the summer of 1956, Marilyn and Elizabeth lived as neighbors in Windsor
  • “This is a brilliant concept, and Moylan has pulled it off perfectly” (Gill Paul, author of Jackie and Maria)
  • “A vibrant imagining of the inner lives of two iconic women in the year of their storied encounter… Thoroughly enjoyable” (Charmaine Wilkerson, author of Black Cake)
Learn more...
GET EBOOK ON:
Amazon Other formats and retailers
 
   
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This month’s best new historical fiction

Don’t miss the best new historical fiction from the past month, hand-picked by our editors! Don’t miss this month’s historical fiction picks...