19 New Historical Fiction Books You Won't Be Able To Put Down This Fall

Can't escape the house? Escape into the pages of these new and forthcoming books.

1. Jackie and Maria by Gill Paul (William Morrow; Aug. 18)

William Morrow Paperbacks

Told from alternating perspectives, Jackie and Maria follows the lives of Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas — two women in love with the same man. Starting from childhood, Jackie's and Maria's lives become more and more intertwined as their rivalry gets more heated. But as Maria's longtime lover, Aristotle Onassis, becomes part of Jackie's life, the women eventually realize how much they have in common.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local bookstore via Indiebound here.

2. Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie (Dutton; Sept. 1)

Dutton

In 1948 Japan, Nori is unwelcome just for who she is — the daughter of an elite Japanese woman and an African American soldier. Abandoned to her grandparents, Nori is hidden away and taught to be silent and obedient. When Nori's half-brother comes back to claim his estate, they surprisingly form a bond that their grandparents can't tolerate. But as Nori learns to finally fight for herself, she also learns that breaking free could cost her everything.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local bookstore via Indiebound here.

3. The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes by Elissa R. Sloan (William Morrow; Sept. 1)

William Morrow Paperbacks

Gloss is the hottest girl group to top the charts — until their dramatic break up in 2002. Fifteen years later, the world is reeling from former Gloss member (and pop idol) Cassy's suicide, and the other three members of the band are left to ruminate on their personal relationships with her and their moment in the spotlight. Told from multiple POVs and through different timelines, the story explores the price of fame, and asks whether it's really worth it.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local bookstore via Indiebound here.

4. A Rogue of One's Own by Evie Dunmore (Berkley; Sept. 1)

Berkley

Lucie and her group of Oxford suffragists have one goal: to gain control of a major publishing house and bring their feminist ideals to a huge audience. The only issue? Lucie's childhood nemesis, Lord Ballentine. He's willing to help Lucie out, but for the high price of one night in her bed. This goes against all of Lucie's principles, but as their wits hit the battlefield, she finds herself more and more tempted to give in.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local bookstore via Indiebound here.

5. Under the Tulip Tree by Michelle Shocklee (Tyndale House; Sept. 8)

Tyndale House Publishers

When the stock market crashes on Rena's 16th birthday, her dreams of being a famous writer come tumbling down with it. Seven years later, deep into the Great Depression, she's struggling to keep her jaded family under a roof. Desperate for money, she accepts a job interviewing formerly enslaved people for the Federal Writers' Project. When Rena hears 101-year-old Frankie's story, the two form a bond that changes her life.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local bookstore via Indiebound here.

6. Remember Me by Mario Escobar (Thomas Nelson; Sept. 15)

Thomas Nelson

At the height of the Spanish Civil War, 500 children are shipped to Mexico to escape the bloody violence. The intent was to bring them back at the war's end, but when WWII hits, the children are left stranded away from their family and the only home they ever knew. Remember Me follows the fictional tale of one child's harrowing journey across the world, and the devastating affects of war on families.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local bookstore via Indiebound here.

7. The Orphan of Cemetery Hill by Hester Fox (Graydon House; Sept. 15)

Graydon House

Tabby has a unique gift: She can speak to the dead. She's always tried to ignore her power — even going so far as to run away from her exploitative aunt with her sister Alice — but when she and Alice are tragically separated in 19th-century Boston, Tabby finds herself caught up in a paranormal plot run by a group known as the "Resurrection Men." Will her power finally save her, or lead to her demise?

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local bookstore via Indiebound here.

8. The Most Precious of Cargoes by Jean-Claude Grumberg (HarperVia; Sept. 29)

HarperVia

Set against the backdrop of WWII, this story follows a woodcutter and his wife who struggle to put food on the table but dream of a baby nonetheless. One day, the woman miraculously finds a bundled baby in the forest, left there by a Jewish father in the hopes someone would find and care for her. Told with a fairytale-like voice, this story shows how humanity can survive even in the darkest of times.

Get it from Barnes and Noble, or your local bookstore via Indiebound here.

9. The Green Lace Corset by Jill G. Hall (She Writes Press; Oct. 13)

She Writes Press

Anne is an artist living in modern-day San Francisco when she wanders into a vintage shop and buys a green lace corset. Meanwhile, in 1885, Sally Sue is traveling through the midwest when she's kidnapped by a devilishly handsome bank robber. Alternating between two centuries, we follow Anne and Sally Sue as they face their respective tough choices, connected by the same green corset.

Get it from Bookshop, Barnes and Noble, or your local bookstore via Indiebound here.

10. The Candlelit Menagerie by Caraline Brown (Arcade; Oct. 20)

Arcade

Lillian has never fit in anywhere. She's taller than most men, and she's always stuck out in 18th-century London society. Then she stumbles upon an exotic animal menagerie. There, she feels at home amongst the large animals, especially Leo the lion. Lillian quickly gets a job caring for the animals, eventually taking over and marrying another animal lover. Lillian's life is perfect — until tragedy strikes and turns it upside down.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local bookstore via Indiebound here.

11. Prospects of a Woman by Wendy Voorsanger (She Writes Press; Oct. 20)

She Writes Press

Elisabeth and her new husband set off to California to find her father, who's supposedly made it big during the Gold Rush. But when he turns out not to be the man she remembered and her husband, Nate, begins to question his sexuality, Elisabeth feels lost. With only Self-Reliance, letters to her friend Louisa May Alcott, and a Californio man she just met to keep her company, Elisabeth will have to live on her own terms.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local bookstore via Indiebound here.

12. Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood (Doubleday; Oct. 27)

Doubleday Books

In a genderbent twist on Holmes and Watson, this detective novel follows Pentecost and Parker, two female detectives making a name for themselves in 1940s NYC. When a rich widow is found murdered in a locked room, they must find the culprit, whether it's human or — as some suspect — spirit. But as the danger begins to catch up with them, they realize the murderer might be even closer than either of them thought.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local bookstore via Indiebound here.

13. Stories From Suffragette City, edited by M.J. Rose and Fiona Davis (Henry Holt & Co.; Oct. 27)

Henry Holt and Co.

Twelve stories — some more fictional than others — merge together on one fateful day: October 23, 1915, when tens of thousands of suffragists marched in New York City, demanding the right to vote. From a young woman escaping her apple orchard, to Ida B. Wells fighting for racial equality, these stories depict the wide variety of experiences during this pivotal day in history.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local bookstore via Indiebound here.

14. Beautiful Wild by Anna Godbersen (HarperTeen; Nov. 3)

HarperTeen

Vida Hazzard has a plan: She's embarking on the "Millionaire's Ship of the West" in order to woo wealthy Fitzhugh Farrar into a marriage proposal. But she wasn't expecting Fitz's annoying best friend, Sal, to tag along — or for their ship to hit a hurricane and strand them all on a deserted island. Figuring out how to get home isn't Vida's only issue as she struggles to decide which boy will capture her heart — and future.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local bookstore via Indiebound here.

15. At Night All Blood Is Black by David Diop (Farrar, Straus and Giroux; Nov. 10)

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

This haunting tale of a Senegalese man's experience in WWI is a poetic look at the horrors of war and its effect on mental health. When Alfa Ndiaye's best friend dies in battle, he begins sneaking into enemy territory and picking off Germans one by one, until even his own men think him a dark sorcerer. How far will Ndiaye go to get vengeance for his friend — and will he lose himself in the process?

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local bookstore via Indiebound here.

16. The Silver Shooter by Erin Lindsey (Minotaur; Nov. 17)

Minotaur Books

It's 1887 and this is Rose Gallagher's year: She bought her own house, and she's coming into her own as a Pinkerton — aka a member of an agency of people who specialize in the ~otherworldly~. When Theodore Roosevelt calls upon Rose and her business/possibly-romantic partner to solve some mysterious occurrences in the Badlands, Rose will have to take on the wild west... and win.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local bookstore via Indiebound here.

17. Confessions in B-Flat by Donna Hill (Sideways Books; Nov. 24)

Sideways Books

Jason has just uprooted his life in Atlanta to work for his mentor, Martin Luther King, Jr., while Anita uses poetry to spread the message of her idol, Malcolm X. When their paths cross, their chemistry is stronger than the difference in their politics. But when Jason is drafted, they have to figure out if their love — and the movement — can survive this turmoil.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local bookstore via Indiebound here.

18. The Mermaid from Jeju by Sumi Hahn (Alcove Press; Dec. 8)

Crooked Lane Books

Junja and her family are haenyeo, deep sea divers looking for seafood to trade. But when Junja witnesses her mother drown on a dive that she was meant to take, she's left heartbroken and abandoned. And as Korea's political climate grows more tumultuous post-WWII, Junja has to learn to face a rapidly changing world all on her own.

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local bookstore via Indiebound here.

19. The Diabolical Bones by Bella Ellis (Berkley Books; Feb. 16, 2021)

Berkley Books

In 1846, the Brontë sisters are busy building their literary careers — oh, and launching their detective company. When a pile of bones are found on a neighboring property, the sisters (along with brother Branwell) are on the case to discover where these bones came from and whether anything sinister happened. But will the Brontës' curiosity lure them into a nefarious trap?

Get it from Bookshop, Target, or your local bookstore via Indiebound here.

Note: The publication of this book has been pushed from Fall 2020 to February 2021, but we still recommend adding it to your TBR list!