Who says historical fiction books aren’t enjoyable to read? Like all other pieces of literature, historical fiction has its unique charms that captivate the hearts and attentions of the readers. As of 2021, there are already millions of books under this genre that were published and are conquering different bestselling lists.
If you are looking for the best historical fiction books that will give you a memorable reading experience, then here are some of the must-reads that you should check out.
Bannack: A Growing Up Story in the Vigilante West by Jerry Delaney
Bannack: A Growing Up Story in the Vigilante West is a historical and young adult book by Jerry Delaney. It primarily focuses on themes of self-discovery and adventure. The story is set during the Civil War when chaos and vigilante violence existed. A sixteen-year-old boy named Billy Mayfair is the protagonist that moves the story forward. Billy’s journey was rough and challenging. At such a young age, he already experienced being cast away from home, searching for gold, losing his precious things in life, getting involved in a fight, and going to jail. From all those misadventures, he managed to stand up again and continued his rollercoaster journey. Thus, this is more than just a story of life but also of hope and survival.
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Macmillan published this historical fiction book written by Ken Follett in 1989. It was preceded by The Evening and the Morning and followed by World Without End. Moreover, the story of The Pillars of the Earth revolves around a particular infrastructure of a cathedral in Kingsbridge, England, in the 12th century. It follows the improvement of Gothic architecture out of the rising Romanesque architecture and the wealth of the Kingsbridge monastery and village opposing the state of historical affairs during that century. The story is divided into different parts, which each section features some events from different years. This book gained multiple feedbacks and was soon adapted into a musical, TV show, and more.
All the Lights We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Anthony Doerr authored the bestselling book, 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and 2015 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction awardee titled All the Lights We Cannot See. It was originally published in 2014 by Scribner. The story takes place during the Second World War in France. The storyline is moved by the two main characters Marie-Laure LeBlanc, a blind French girl, and Werner Pfenning, an orphan German boy. They both belong to different countries where one, Germany, invades the other, France. The two met at an extremely unexpected time, and Werner found himself slowly falling in love with Marie-Laure. As they journey together, an unfortunate event took place that took the life of Wermer.
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
The bestselling author Kristin Hannah wrote another remarkable book titled The Four Winds that was published in 2021 by St. Martin’s Press. The story is set in 1934 in Texas. There were many people who lost their jobs, and the Great Plains is suffering from a drought. Every farmer is battling a natural occurrence and striving to maintain their livelihoods in the midst of it all. Living in one of the darkest moments of the Great Depression was not easy. Thus, Elsa Martinelli starts to create a terrible choice: to either stay or continue fighting for the land or begin to journey toward the west to live a better life. So, what would Elsa choose?
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth E. Wein
In 2012, the young adult historical fiction book of Elizabeth E. Wein titled Code Name Verity was published. The story centers on the blossoming friendship of two young ladies from different countries, England and Scotland, during World War II, specifically 1943. It was also the moment when the young women crashed their British spy plane in France, which the Nazis unfortunately occupied. Only one of the two young pilots was bestowed the opportunity to survive because the other had already lost the game prior to reaching the starting line. The one spy who was called Verity was arrested and had to face a serious interrogation from the enemies. Apart from that, she also needs to fight for her life.
Trina’s Travel 