Collection: Historical Fiction

Pick your own path, pioneer! Follow color paths on the page, make a decision, follow the trail, and turn the page to the corresponding tab to see if you make it!

Ford rivers, hike mountains, and make the trek to Oregon City in this colorful, fully illustrated adventure! Depending on the path you pick, you could face wild animals, natural disasters, famine, sickness, unpredictable weather, or even death. With more than fifty story possibilities to follow, each decision counts. Make the right choices and blaze a trail out west! Do you have what it takes? Perfect for young readers who love graphic novels, video games, and Minecraft.

Paris. 1917. Never underestimate the power of a good hat... or a sharp hatpin.

Sent by the War Office to follow the notorious Black Panther, file clerk turned secret agent Fiona Figg is under strict orders not to get too close and not to wear any of her usual "get-ups."

But what self-respecting British spy can resist a good disguise?

Within hours of her arrival in Paris, Fiona is up to her fake eyebrows in missing maids, jewel thieves, double agents, and high treason.

When Fiona is found dressed as a bellboy holding a bloody paperknife over the body of a dead countess, it's not just her career that's on the block.

Her next date might be with Madame Guillotine.

A widowed violinist and her teenage granddaughter are trapped in wartime Leningrad while the men they love fight to break Hitler's grip in this epic tale of struggle and survival, of devotion, duty, and family, and of love lost and sometimes found again.

From Andy Marino, author of The Plot to Kill Hitler series, comes another fast-paced historical thriller chronicling one family's desperate bid to escape the deadly Chernobyl disaster.

26 April 1986

01:18

Alina & Lev are two siblings living in Pripyat, one of the Soviet Union's proud nuclear cities. Both are asleep in their beds.

Their cousin, Yuri, is a custodian at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, where he's fiercely attacking a spill in the hallway with a mop.

Alina's best friend, Sofiya, sleeps just a few doors down. Her father is an engineer at the plant, a fact that has always filled her with pride.

In five minutes, Reactor No. 4 will explode in a ball of fire. It will expel radiation across their town for nine days before it's finally contained. For the people of Pripyat, it will be far too late.

Two young siblings flee the Chernobyl disaster with their parents, but the Communist party is on their heels. Meanwhile, the friends and family they were forced to leave behind must contend with a disinformation campaign that's determined to pretend nothing is wrong-even as deadly radiation spills into the air.

Read the book that inspired Studio Ghibli's series, Ronja the Robber's Daughter! A thrilling adventure crafted by the author of Pippi Longstocking

On the night Ronia was born, a thunderstorm raged over the mountain, but in Matt's castle and among his band of robbers there was only joy - for Matt now had a spirited little black-haired daughter. Soon Ronia learns to dance and yell with the robbers, but it is alone in the forest that she feels truly at home. Then one day Ronia meets Birk, the son of Matt's arch-enemy. Soon after Ronia and Birk become friends the worst quarrel ever between the rival bands erupts, and Ronia and Berk are right in the middle.

"Some characters become your friends for life. That's how it was for me with Betsy-Tacy." --Judy Blume

With a Foreword by Laura Lippman

These two books in Maud Hart Lovelace's beloved Betsy-Tacy series: Heaven to Betsy and Betsy in Spite of Herself see Betsy and Tacy start high school in Deep Valley, Minnesota. Featuring a foreword by New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman and the original cover art from Heaven to Betsy.

"I re-read these books every year, marveling at how a world so quaint - Shirtwaists! Pompadours! Merry Widow hats! - can feature a heroine who is undeniably modern." -- Laura Lippman

"There are three authors whose body of work I have re-read more than once over my adult life: Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and Maud Hart Lovelace." -- Anna Quindlen

"Slipping into a Betsy book is like slipping into a favorite pair of well-worn slippers: It's always a pleasure to live in Betsy's world for a little while, to experience her simple joys, but also her (thankfully short-lived) sorrows." -- Meg Cabot

A twenty-fifth anniversary edition of Charles Johnson's National Book Award-winning masterpiece--"a novel in the tradition of Billy Budd and Moby-Dick...heroic in proportion...fiction that hooks the mind" (The New York Times Book Review)--now with a new introduction from Stanley Crouch.

Rutherford Calhoun, a newly freed slave and irrepressible rogue, is lost in the underworld of 1830s New Orleans. Desperate to escape the city's unscrupulous bill collectors and the pawing hands of a schoolteacher hellbent on marrying him, he jumps aboard the Republic, a slave ship en route to collect members of a legendary African tribe, the Allmuseri. Thus begins a voyage of metaphysical horror and human atrocity, a journey which challenges our notions of freedom, fate and how we live together. Peopled with vivid and unforgettable characters, nimble in its interplay of comedy and serious ideas, this dazzling modern classic is a perfect blend of the picaresque tale, historical romance, sea yarn, slave narrative and philosophical allegory.

Now with a new introduction from renowned writer and critic Stanley Crouch, this twenty-fifth anniversary edition of Middle Passage celebrates a cornerstone of the American canon and the masterwork of one of its most important writers. "Long after we'd stopped believe in the great American novel, along comes a spellbinding adventure story that may be just that" (Chicago Tribune).

Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater, make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles-until they are hired to pilfer a famed sword. What appears to be just a simple job finds them framed for the murder of the king and trapped in a conspiracy that uncovers a plot far greater than the mere overthrow of a tiny kingdom.

Can a self-serving thief and an idealistic swordsman survive long enough to unravel the first part of an ancient mystery that has toppled kings and destroyed empires?

And so begins the first tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend.

When author Michael J. Sullivan self-published the first books of his Riyria Revelations, they rapidly became ebook bestsellers. Now, Orbit is pleased to present the complete series for the first time in bookstores everywhere.

The author of A Bridge Across the Ocean and The Last Year of the War journeys from the present day to World War II England, as two sisters are separated by the chaos of wartime...

Current day, Oxford, England. Young American scholar Kendra Van Zant, eager to pursue her vision of a perfect life, interviews Isabel McFarland just when the elderly woman is ready to give up secrets about the war that she has kept for decades...beginning with who she really is. What Kendra receives from Isabel is both a gift and a burden--one that will test her convictions and her heart.

1940s, England. As Hitler wages an unprecedented war against London's civilian population, hundreds of thousands of children are evacuated to foster homes in the rural countryside. But even as fifteen-year-old Emmy Downtree and her much younger sister Julia find refuge in a charming Cotswold cottage, Emmy's burning ambition to return to the city and apprentice with a fashion designer pits her against Julia's profound need for her sister's presence. Acting at cross purposes just as the Luftwaffe rains down its terrible destruction, the sisters are cruelly separated, and their lives are transformed...

In the spirit of Loving Frank and The Paris Wife, acclaimed novelist Melanie Benjamin pulls back the curtain on the marriage of one of America's most extraordinary couples: Charles Lindbergh and Anne Morrow Lindbergh.

"The history [is] exhilarating. . . . The Aviator's Wife soars."--USA Today

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

When Anne Morrow, a shy college senior with hidden literary aspirations, travels to Mexico City to spend Christmas with her family, she meets Colonel Charles Lindbergh, fresh off his celebrated 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic. Enthralled by Charles's assurance and fame, Anne is certain the aviator has scarcely noticed her. But she is wrong. Charles sees in Anne a kindred spirit, a fellow adventurer, and her world will be changed forever. The two marry in a headline-making wedding. In the years that follow, Anne becomes the first licensed female glider pilot in the United States. But despite this and other major achievements, she is viewed merely as the aviator's wife. The fairy-tale life she once longed for will bring heartbreak and hardships, ultimately pushing her to reconcile her need for love and her desire for independence, and to embrace, at last, life's infinite possibilities for change and happiness.

Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader's Circle for author chats and more.

Praise for The Aviator's Wife

"Remarkable . . . The Aviator's Wife succeeds [in] putting the reader inside Anne Lindbergh's life with her famous husband."--The Denver Post

"Anne Morrow Lindbergh narrates the story of the Lindberghs' troubled marriage in all its triumph and tragedy."--USA Today

"[This novel] will fascinate history buffs and surprise those who know of her only as 'the aviator's wife.' "--People

"It's hard to quit reading this intimate historical fiction."--The Dallas Morning News

"Fictional biography at its finest."--Booklist (starred review)

"Utterly unforgettable."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"An intimate examination of the life and emotional mettle of Anne Morrow."--The Washington Post

"A story of both triumph and pain that will take your breath away."--Kate Alcott, author of The Dressmaker

As the daughter of a famed author, Isolde Ophelia Goodnight grew up on tales of brave knights and fair maidens. She never doubted romance would be in her future, too. The storybooks offered endless possibilities.

And as she grew older, Izzy crossed them off. One by one by one.

• Ugly duckling turned swan?
• Abducted by handsome highwayman?
• Rescued from drudgery by charming prince?

No, no, and . . . Heh.

Now Izzy's given up yearning for romance. She'll settle for a roof over her head. What fairy tales are left over for an impoverished twenty-six year-old woman who's never even been kissed?

This one.

In the fifth and final book in the All-of-A-Kind Family series, Ella, the eldest child of the family, has been offered a stage career by a Broadway talent scout. While Ella wants to sing more than anything else in the world, she finds herself torn between Jules, her beloved fiancé who has just returned from World War I, and what's sure to be a tough uphill climb to stardom. Once again, the loving all-of-a-kind-family provides the support needed for Ella to make the right decision.

Born in 1904 on New York's Lower East Side, Sydney Taylor was one of the first authors of children's books centered on Jewish characters, and is especially known for the immensely popular All-of-a-Kind Family series. The Sydney Taylor Book Award is given each year by the Jewish Association of Libraries to a book for young people that authentically portrays the Jewish experience.

NYT and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen delivers the action-packed conclusion to her magical Mark of the Thief trilogy!

Trouble has a way of seeking out Nicolas Calva, and it's not likely to leave him alone any time soon. With Caesar's magic bulla, the Malice of Mars, and the possibility of a Jupiter Stone in play, all the powers of Rome are circling Nic. He'll have to maneuver his way through scheming government officials and reawakened magical beasts to save the Empire. Can he manage to keep his friends and family safe, claim his own freedom once and for all, and rescue the Empire -- before the magic gets the better of him?With twists and turns on every page, critically acclaimed author Jennifer Nielsen weaves an epic, action-packed conclusion to her extraordinary Mark of the Thief trilogy.

Tag along with the Timekeepers in these history-themed adventure stories to discover amazing people and events that shaped our world.

Meet the Timekeepers, a secret organization of kids who keep the course of history on track - and history needs them! A villain called DeLay is set on causing chaos... When the hands on their special watches start to spin backwards, the Timekeepers know that DeLay has been up to no good, and it's up to them to put things right.

In this instalment, The Timekeepers are transported back in time to 1889 to visit the World's Fair and the unveiling of the newly-built Eiffel Tower. But shortly after arrival, DeLay steals the blueprints for the building! It's up to the Timekeepers to track down the plans for the building, stop DeLay and save the day.

This children's chapter book series offers:

- An introduction to history in a way that blends a fun story with real facts, and also includes a non-fiction section with additional information such as, timelines, quizzes, and a glossary.
- Beautifully illustrated art accompanied by expertly written text.
- An insight into different historical time periods, showing children the connection between past and present.

Tag along with the Timekeepers in these history-themed adventure stories for 7 to 9 year-olds that will help readers discover the amazing people and events that shaped our world. With a range of adventures that span all of history, The Timekeepers series is the ideal chapter book for any adventure lover.

More in the series

At DK, we believe in the power of discovery.

So why stop there?

If you like The Timekeepers: Eiffel Tower Emergency, then you'll love other titles in the series. Why not try The Timekeepers: Ancient Olympics to learn about the first ever Olympic Games, or First Flight and discover the events of the first successful airplane flight?

New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James returns to the Would-Be Wallflowers series with an enemies-to-lovers romance between a proper earl and an entirely improper lady--whom he can't stop thinking about.

Giles Renwick, Earl of Lilford, has never made a fool of himself over a woman--until he meets Lady Yasmin Régnier. Yasmin is ineligible for his attentions in every way: not as a wife, certainly not as a mistress (she is a lady!), nor even as a friend, since they vehemently dislike each other. Her gowns are too low, and her skirts are dampened to cling to admittedly lovely thighs. She loves to gossip--and giggle.

She isn't dignified, or polite, or even truly British, given that her father's French ancestry clearly predominated. Not to mention the fact that her mother had been one of Napoleon's mistresses, a fact she makes no effort to hide.

So what--in heaven's name--possesses him to propose?

And what will he do if she says yes?

NATIONAL BESTSELLER - "It takes a rare individual not only to see that history can live, but also to make it live for others. James Thom has that gift."--The Indianapolis News

Mary Ingles was twenty-three, happily married, and pregnant with her third child when Shawnee Indians invaded her peaceful Virginia settlement in 1755 and kidnapped her, leaving behind a bloody massacre. For months they held her captive. But nothing could imprison her spirit.

With the rushing Ohio River as her guide, Mary Ingles walked one thousand miles through an untamed wilderness no white woman had ever seen. Her story lives on--extraordinary testimony to the indomitable strength of one pioneer woman who risked her life to return to her own people.