Top 5 Historical Fiction Books

Do you love historical fiction books? If so, then let me share with you my all time favourite Top 5 Historical Fiction books. Some of these you may have read, but hopefully I’m about to introduce you to some cracking historical fiction books that you should add to your ‘To Be Read’ pile.

What Are Historical Fiction Books?

Historical Fiction is set in a real place, during a culturally recognised time or event. The details and the action in the story can be a mix of actual events as well as ones created from the author’s imagination. Characters in the book can also be fictional or based on real people (often it’s both).

My Top 5 Historical Fiction Books

So, here are my favourite historical fictions, listed in no particular order:

The Women in the White Kimono by Ana Johns

This is a BBC Radio 2 book club pick. The Woman in the White Kimono takes us on a tour to Japan in the 1950’s. In Japan, 1957 a woman is torn between her culture and her heart. In present day America, a woman finds a letter with a shocking revelation.

Read my book review and then go grab a copy of the book

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

This historical fiction story takes us on a tour around Oxford in the UK. In 1901, the word ‘bondmaid’ was discovered missing from the Oxford English Dictionary. This is the story of the girl who stole it. Esme spends her childhood in the Scriptorium, a garden shed in Oxford where her father and a team of lexicographers are gathering words for the very first Oxford English Dictionary. Esme’s place is beneath the sorting table, unseen and unheard. One day, she sees a slip containing the word ‘bondmaid’ flutter to the floor unclaimed.

Read my book review and then go grab a copy of the book

The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson

Based on true events, The Little Wartime Library is a gripping and heart-wrenching page-turner that remembers one of the greatest resistance stories of the war.

Clara Button is no ordinary librarian. While the world remains at war, in East London Clara has created the country’s only underground library, built over the tracks in the disused Bethnal Green tube station.

Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu

For this debut novel, the author takes us on a journey from China to the island of Taiwan. Spanning continents and generations, Peach Blossom Spring is a bold and moving look at the history of modern China, told through the story of one family. It’s about the power of our past, the hope for a better future, and the search for a place to belong.

Read my Book review then grab yourself a copy of the book

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn

She’s the war’s most lethal sniper. And the one they least expect…

In the snowbound city of Kiev, aspiring historian Mila Pavlichenko’s life revolves around her young son – until Hitler’s invasion of Russia changes everything. Handed a rifle, Mila discovers a gift – and months of blood, sweat and tears turn the young woman into a deadly sniper: the most lethal hunter of Nazis.

Read my Book Review then grab a copy of the book.

Have You Seen A Book You Fancy?

So there you have it, my Top 5 Historical Fiction Books? I loved reading these stories as they all have strong female characters. Each book is set in a different location around the world, sharing fascinating details of historical events, which has been thoroughly researched by the authors. If you like the sound of these books then I’d highly recommend treating yourself. I hope you enjoyed my book list, happy reading.

Do you have an all time favourite historical fiction book not listed above? Share your recommendations in the comments below. I’d love to add more historical fiction books to my ‘must read’ book list and share them with Touring Tales Readers.

Read more Touring Tales Book Reviews in the Historical Fiction section: