The best historical fiction makes readers feel like they’re living in the past and experiencing the world as it was. The stories can take readers to iconic locations to give a glimpse into what life would have been like in those places.
From ancient Rome and Jerusalem to places like Jack Daniel’s Distillery and The Maxwell House Hotel, these novels transport readers to settings where they can imagine being part of the action.
If you’re participating in the Crazy4Fiction Reading Challenge, pick a book to fulfill the set in an historic location prompt!
In These Hills
By Tamera Alexander
Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee
The Jack Daniel’s brand has been one of the most popular whiskeys in the United States since its founding in 1875 and the Jack Daniel’s Distillery is a popular tourist destination today. In These Hills introduces readers to suffragist Josephine who is on the run after a deadly suffragist rally in Atlanta. She hopes to disappear in Lynchburg, Tennessee, far away from her troubles. But the only job matching her skills is at Jack Daniel’s Distillery, an irony not lost on a suffragist committed to prohibition. And as Jack Daniel’s Distillery gains national recognition, Josephine’s secrets resurface.
Daughter of the Rebellion
By Jamie Ogle
Rome, Italy, in the time of gladiators
Gladiators have fascinated readers for decades but rarely has there been a focus on female gladiators. Daughter of the Rebellion introduces readers to Adelgard, a Visigoth sold to a Roman gladiator school. Adel is the most famous gladiatrix in Rome, but beneath the fame lies a darkness and pain that hold her captive.
The Fault Between Us
By Stephanie Landsem
Yellowstone National Park during the 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake
Inspired by Stephanie Landsem’s own family stories of surviving the deadliest earthquake in Montana, The Fault Between Us tells the story of three sisters whose bond has started to unravel. When Claire settles in Yellowstone with her husband and new baby, her sisters sense something isn’t right. Bridget takes a temporary nursing assignment in Yellowstone to be closer to Claire and brings along youngest sister Frannie, in hopes it will corral her rebellious behavior. But when a seismic event rips Yellowstone apart, it tests the sisters’ survival and exposes the ever-widening rift in their relationship.
The Women of Oak Ridge
By Michelle Shocklee
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, during World War II
The US government acquired land in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to create a site to develop materials for the Manhattan Project. In addition, a town was built to accommodate those working on the project. In The Women of Oak Ridge, Maebelle is eager to begin her new government job in Oak Ridge to help the war effort, but she knows little about the work she’ll be doing. Once Mae’s roommate disappears without a trace, Mae realizes all is not what it seems.
Last Light Over Galveston
By Jennifer L. Wright
Galveston, Texas, during the hurricane of 1900
The 1900 Galveston Hurricane is the deadliest natural disaster in the history of the United States. And Last Light over Galveston imagines the lead-up and the aftermath of the powerful storm. Kathleen fled her former life in New York and finds refuge helping nuns care for young charges on Galveston Island in Texas. But when troubling news about a storm crossing the Gulf is ignored and darkness falls on the island, Kathleen must gather her courage for a strength beyond her own.
The Lawyer and the Laundress
By Christine Hill Suntz
Toronto, Canada, during the Upper Canada Rebellion
The Upper Canada Rebellion started in Toronto in December 1837 by a group of citizens who were upset by the policies of the colonial government. In The Lawyer and the Laundress, James and Sara get wrapped up in the rebellion. James is protective of his daughter, but when she needs medical care, he turns to a laundress with medical knowledge and formal education to help heal his daughter. As they agree to a marriage of convenience to help bring up James’s daughter, the rebellion is brought to their door. When James is accused of treason, Sara must find the courage to face her past and save her husband.
The Pharisee’s Wife
By Janette Oke
Jerusalem, Israel, during the time of Jesus’ ministry
Janette Oke imagines the ministry of Jesus as seen by the wife of a Pharisee who is searching for a way to tear Jesus down in this ancient historical novel. When an ambitious Pharisee sees Mary, a beautiful young woman, he knows he must have her as his wife. When Mary enters into training to become a proper Pharisee’s wife, she hears rumors of a miracle-working, traveling Prophet. Mary and Enos are swept up in events that will challenge all they hold dear and forever alter both their futures.
Come Down Somewhere
By Jennifer L. Wright
Alamogordo, New Mexico, during the Trinity nuclear bomb test
The Alamogordo Bombing and Gunnery Range (now known as the White Sans Proving Ground) was the site for the Trinity nuclear bomb test during World War II. In Come Down Somewhere, Olive and Jo meet when Jo’s father commandeers Olive’s family home. As they form a tentative friendship amid the backdrop of war, the secrets of what’s happening at the local military base tear their lives apart.
Count the Nights by Stars
By Michelle Shocklee
The Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee
For nearly a century, the Maxwell House Hotel was a popular place to stay in Nashville, Tennessee, and the town’s largest hotel. In Count the Nights by Stars, the Maxwell House Hotel plays a vital role in both the historical and contemporary storylines. In 1961, Audrey, the daughter of the hotel’s manager, finds a scrapbook filled with memorabilia from the Tennessee Centennial Exposition and tries to track down a woman mentioned through the scrapbook, known only as Peaches. In 1897 during the Tennessee Centennial Exposition, Priscilla is staying at the Maxwell House Hotel and meets handsome Luca. But the festivities are overshadowed by terrible truths that come to light, changing them both forever.
The Tea Chest
By Heidi Chiavaroli
Boston, Massachusetts during the Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a pivotal event in the lead-up to the Revolutionary War and The Tea Chest imagines what someone living through that chaotic time might have gone through. Emma, the daughter of an official with staunch loyalty to the Crown, is drawn to Noah, a Patriot. When Emma is blackmailed with evidence that condemns the participants of the Boston Tea Party, including Noah, she must decide how to protect those she loves. As real historical figures make cameos in the novel, readers will be immersed in the intrigue of the story.
Where Dandelions Bloom
By Tara Johnson
Manassas, Virginia, and other battlefields during the Civil War
In Tara Johnson’s novel, Cassie escapes an abusive home life by posing as a young man to enlist in the Union army. As she travels with the army, she meets Gabe, a photographer looking to capture images from the front lines of the war, and begins a tentative friendship. They both are in Manassas, Virginia, for what would be known as the First Battle of Bull Run, the first land battle of the Civil War. Even after seeing the horrors of war firsthand, Cassie continues to fight and attempts to keep her secret hidden.