Collection: Historical Fiction

The international bestselling author of The Secret River and
A Room Made of Leaves returns with a fictionalised account of her grandmother's
life, commemorating a strong female character making the best out of the times
and society she was born in.Dolly Maunder is born at the end of the nineteenth century,
when society's long-locked doors are just starting to creak ajar for determined
women. Growing up in a poor farming family in rural New South Wales, Dolly
spends her life doggedly pushing at those doors. A husband and two children do
not deter her from searching for love and independence.

Restless Dolly Maunder is a subversive, triumphant tale of a
pioneering woman working her way through a world of limits and obstacles, who
is able - despite the cost - to make a life she could call her own.

Named a best picture book of 2020 by Kirkus, School Library Journal, Booklist, New York Public Library, the Globe and Mail, CBC, and the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books -- a heartfelt and personal immigration story by critically acclaimed author Thao Lam

New from Thao Lam, the award-winning author of picture books My Cat Looks Like My Dad, Wallpaper, and Skunk on a String, comes a personal story inspired by her family's refugee journey.

In The Paper Boat, Thao's signature collage art tells the wordless story of one family's escape from Vietnam--a journey intertwined with an ant colony's parallel narrative.

At her home in Vietnam, a girl rescues ants from the sugar water set out to trap them. Later, when the girl's family flees war-torn Vietnam, ants lead them through the moonlit jungle to the boat that will take them to safety. Before boarding, the girl folds a paper boat from a bun wrapper and drops it into the water, and the ants climb on. Their perilous journey, besieged by punishing weather, predatory birds, and dehydration, before reaching a new beginning, mirrors the family's own. Impressionistic collages and a moving, Own Voices narrative make this a one-of-a-kind tale of courage, resilience, and hope.

From award-winning verse novelist Shari Green comes an unforgettable story of friendship, first love, and an impossible choice between integrity and duty, family and friends, all while fighting for a dream.

Song of Freedom, Song of Dreams is a historical YA novel in verse that centers around a young pianist in East Germany trying to make sense of love, duty, and the pursuit of dreams during the unsettled months of protest that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall in the late 1980s. Written in stunning lyrical verse, Song of Freedom, Song of Dreams is a story of hope, courage, romance, and the power of music not only to change lives, but to save them.

It is 1926, the first year of the Showa era. Urabe Kanoko has left her hometown after it turns against her for having the ability to hear lies when spoken. She collapses from hunger after arriving in a town called Tsukumoya, where she meets a poverty-stricken detective named Iwai Soma. Is this fate? Or something more?

Twelve-year-old Carrie is excited to spend the night at her best friend Betsy's house one Saturday night in the turn of the century Galveston, Texas. But when her parents receive a last-minute invitation to a high-society party, they insist Carrie stay home to babysit her little brother, Henry. Despite a storm brewing -- and Carrie's protests over the change in plans -- her parents go to the party. As the storm approaches, the streets begin flooding. Henry is scared, and Carrie tries to calm him. But then hurricane hits, and the house is shaken from its foundation. Carrie must make some quick decisions to save herself and her little brother from the Great Galveston Hurricane. Readers can learn the real story of the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 from the nonfiction backmatter in this Girls Survive story. A glossary, discussion questions, and writing prompts are also provided.

A PopSugar, Oprah Daily, and BookBub Most Anticipated Romance of 2022!

Victorian high society's most daring equestrienne finds love and an unexpected ally in her fight for independence in the strong arms of London's most sought after and devastatingly handsome half-Indian tailor.

Evelyn Maltravers understands exactly how little she's worth on the marriage mart. As an incurable bluestocking from a family tumbling swiftly toward ruin, she knows she'll never make a match in a ballroom. Her only hope is to distinguish herself by making the biggest splash in the one sphere she excels: on horseback. In haute couture. But to truly capture London's attention she'll need a habit-maker who's not afraid to take risks with his designs--and with his heart.

Half-Indian tailor Ahmad Malik has always had a talent for making women beautiful, inching his way toward recognition by designing riding habits for Rotten Row's infamous Pretty Horsebreakers--but no one compares to Evelyn. Her unbridled spirit enchants him, awakening a depth of feeling he never thought possible.

But pushing boundaries comes at a cost and not everyone is pleased to welcome Evelyn and Ahmad into fashionable society. With obstacles spanning between them, the indomitable pair must decide which hurdles they can jump and what matters most: making their mark or following their hearts?

Hornblower's reconnaissance mission quickly turns to warfare in this installment of the beloved series of naval adventures by C. S. Forester, "a master of the genre" (New York Times).

April 1803. The Peace of Amiens is breaking down. Napoleon is building ships and amassing an army just across the Channel. Horatio Hornblower -- who, at age twenty-seven, has already distinguished himself as one of the most daring and resourceful officers in the Royal Navy -- commands the three-masted Hotspur on a dangerous reconnaissance mission that evolves, as war breaks out, into a series of spectacular confrontations.
All the while, the introspective young commander struggles to understand his new bride and mother-in-law, his officers and crew, and his own "accursed unhappy temperament" -- matters that trouble him more, perhaps, than any of Bonaparte's cannonballs.

The pioneering novel of physical disability, transatlantic travel, and black international politics. A vital document of black modernism and one of the earliest overtly queer fictions in the African American tradition. Published for the first time.

A Penguin Classic

A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice/Staff Pick
Vulture's Ten Best Books of 2020 pick

Buried in the archive for almost ninety years, Claude McKay's Romance in Marseille traces the adventures of a rowdy troupe of dockworkers, prostitutes, and political organizers--collectively straight and queer, disabled and able-bodied, African, European, Caribbean, and American. Set largely in the culture-blending Vieux Port of Marseille at the height of the Jazz Age, the novel takes flight along with Lafala, an acutely disabled but abruptly wealthy West African sailor. While stowing away on a transatlantic freighter, Lafala is discovered and locked in a frigid closet. Badly frostbitten by the time the boat docks, the once-nimble dancer loses both of his lower legs, emerging from life-saving surgery as what he terms "an amputated man." Thanks to an improbably successful lawsuit against the shipping line, however, Lafala scores big in the litigious United States. Feeling flush after his legal payout, Lafala doubles back to Marseille and resumes his trans-African affair with Aslima, a Moroccan courtesan. With its scenes of black bodies fighting for pleasure and liberty even when stolen, shipped, and sold for parts, McKay's novel explores the heritage of slavery amid an unforgiving modern economy. This first-ever edition of Romance in Marseille includes an introduction by McKay scholars Gary Edward Holcomb and William J. Maxwell that places the novel within both the "stowaway era" of black cultural politics and McKay's challenging career as a star and skeptic of the Harlem Renaissance.

"A living legend." -- Julia Quinn

The newest novel in USA Today bestselling author Beverly Jenkins's compelling Women Who Dare series features a fearless grifter who goes undercover to reclaim the stolen Declaration of Independence.

Lying and cheating may be sins to some people, but for Raven Moreaux, it is a way of life. She comes from a long line of grifters and couldn't be prouder...Until she's forced to help the government.

A former Confederate official is suspected of stealing the Declaration of Independence, and Raven, posing as his housekeeper, is tasked with getting it back. Her partner is the too handsome Braxton Steel. Masquerading as a valet/driver, Brax is also supposed to be her "husband." He has his own reasons for doing this job, but when their pretend marriage ignites into fiery passion, they'll have to put everything--including their hearts--on the line.

For anyone who has ever dreamed of hearing a horse's story . . .

Independence, Missouri, 1846

Koda is a bay quarter horse with a white blaze. He loves to explore the countryside and run free with his human friend Jasmine nearby. But after Koda sets out with Jasmine's family on a long and dusty wagon train journey on the Oregon Trail, he finds out what is truly important to him. Here is Koda's story . . . in his own words.

With moving and knowledgeable text and lovely black-and-white art throughout--both by real horse people--this is the perfect fit for all lovers of horses and history!

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and a perennial favorite of readers young and old, Herman Wouk's masterful World War II drama set aboard a U.S. Navy warship in the Pacific is "a novel of brilliant virtuosity" (Times Literary Supplement).
Herman Wouk's boldly dramatic, brilliantly entertaining novel of life--and mutiny--on a Navy warship in the Pacific theater was immediately embraced, upon its original publication in 1951, as one of the first serious works of American fiction to grapple with the moral complexities and the human consequences of World War II.
In the intervening half century, The Caine Mutiny has sold millions of copies throughout the world, and has achieved the status of a modern classic.

Jo Salter, a mathematical prodigy from the mountains of North Carolina, remakes herself from a bank teller to a nightclub owner and bootlegger when the Great Depression upturns her life.

The third book in the popular Lane Winslow mystery series by an author the Globe and Mail has called a "writer to watch."

It's early spring of 1947 in idyllic King's Cove, and the Hughes ladies, mere et filles, are gardening and sorting through the jars of food that have been put up for the winter. But while cleaning up after the roof of their root cellar has caved in slightly, they are horrified to discover a small skeletal hand embedded in the mess. Panicked, they call Lane Winslow, the ex-British secret service agent, and, not without some misgivings about the state of their tense relationship, Lane calls Inspector Darling.

Before long the police crew discover the body of a young child buried almost 40 years before. Who is the child, and why has it not been buried in the local cemetery? Inspector Darling, already busy dealing with a teenage girl who has gone on a destructive rampage at a local mill, asks Lane for help in unearthing the long-forgotten secrets of the early life of the tiny town, and the identity of the long-forgotten child.

This delightful new historical mystery series will appeal to fans of Maisie Dobbs and Bess Crawford.

An Amazon Charts and Washington Post bestseller.

A novel of love, courage, and danger unfolds as World War II's brightest heroines--the Clubmobile girls--take on the front lines.

1944: Fiona Denning has her entire future planned out. She'll work in city hall, marry her fiancé when he returns from the war, and settle down in the Boston suburbs. But when her fiancé is reported missing after being shot down in Germany, Fiona's long-held plans are shattered.

Determined to learn her fiancé's fate, Fiona leaves Boston to volunteer overseas as a Red Cross Clubmobile girl, recruiting her two best friends to come along. There's the outspoken Viviana, who is more than happy to quit her secretarial job for a taste of adventure. Then there's Dottie, a shy music teacher whose melodious talents are sure to bring heart and hope to the boys on the front lines.

Chosen for their inner strength and outer charm, the trio isn't prepared for the daunting challenges of war. But through it all come new friendships and romances, unforeseen dangers, and unexpected dreams. As the three friends begin to understand the real reasons they all came to the front, their courage and camaraderie will see them through some of the best and worst times of their lives.

"An engaging, engrossing debut."--Greer Macallister, USA Today bestselling author of The Magician's Lie

Bound for a new continent, and a new beginning.

In her illuminating debut novel, Aimie K. Runyan masterfully blends fact and fiction to explore the founding of New France through the experiences of three young women who, in 1667, answer Louis XIV's call and journey to the Canadian colony.

They are known as the filles du roi, or "King's Daughters"--young women who leave prosperous France for an uncertain future across the Atlantic. Their duty is to marry and bring forth a new generation of loyal citizens. Each prospective bride has her reason for leaving--poverty, family rejection, a broken engagement. Despite their different backgrounds, Rose, Nicole, and Elisabeth all believe that marriage to a stranger is their best, perhaps only, chance of happiness.

Once in Quebec, Elisabeth quickly accepts baker Gilbert Beaumont, who wants a business partner as well as a wife. Nicole, a farmer's daughter from Rouen, marries a charming officer who promises comfort and security. Scarred by her traumatic past, Rose decides to take holy vows rather than marry. Yet no matter how carefully she chooses, each will be tested by hardship and heartbreaking loss--and sustained by the strength found in their uncommon friendship, and the precarious freedom offered by their new home.

"An absorbing adventure with heart."--Jennifer Laam, author of The Secret Daughter of the Tsar

From Newbery honor author Jacqueline Kelly comes Skunked!, a new illustrated chapter book series for younger readers featuring the beloved characters from The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate.

In Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet, Callie Vee, Travis, and Dr. Pritzker help animals big and small.

When soft-hearted Travis discovers an abandoned baby skunk, he can't help but bring him home and take care of him. Stinky, as Travis names him, settles in pretty well. But when Travis discovers Stinky's litter-mate, Winky, who is in need of some help, things get complicated around the Tate house. One skunk is a piece of cake; two is just asking for trouble. Will Travis and Callie be able to keep the critters away from Mother's careful eyes--and nose?

Don't miss the next book in the Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet series: Counting Sheep. And don't forget the Calpurnia Tate books for middle-grade readers: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate and The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate.

Praise for Skunked!: Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet:
"Expect a fresh crop of Calpurnia readers to simply enjoy this on its own considerable merits." --The Bulletin

"This is a great progression from the Lois Lowry books and Laura Ingalls Wilder's 'Little House' books." --Children's Literature

"This engaging introductory chapter book contains the added benefit of introducing readers to science and nature terminology as well as a bit of Texas history. . . . Entertaining, humorous, and informative." --School Library Journal, starred review on Skunked!: Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet

Praise for The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate:
"Six years after debuting in Kelly's Newbery Honor-winning The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, the budding Texas scientist returns, as curious and charming as ever, and now preoccupied with fauna instead of flora . . . Happily, the episodic narrative leaves the door wide open for further adventures--if we're lucky." --Publishers Weekly, starred review on The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate

"Animal lovers will revel in the abundant anecdotes about the benevolent country vet and Travis' mangy strays--some heart-wrenching, some hilarious--while learning plenty about nature ("from pond water up to the stars"), the deadly 1900 Galveston hurricane, and early Texas history as recounted by Callie's scholarly and beloved Granddaddy. A warm, welcome stand-alone companion to Kelly's lauded debut." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review on The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate

"Well worth waiting for . . . Readers will flock to this sequel" --Booklist, starred review on The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate

"Humor and little heartbreaks abound as Callie learns animal care under the tutelage of Dr. Pritzker, the town's veterinarian. . . ." --School Library Journal, starred review on The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate

Praise for The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate:
"The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate is the most delightful historical novel for tweens in many, many years. ...Callie's struggles to find a place in the world where she'll be encouraged in the gawky joys of intellectual curiosity are fresh, funny, and poignant today." --The New Yorker, "Book Bench" section on The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

"In her debut novel, Jacqueline Kelly brings to vivid life a boisterous small-town family at the dawn of a new century. And she especially shines in her depiction of the natural world that so intrigues Callie . . . Readers will want to crank up the A.C. before cracking the cover, though. That first chapter packs a lot of summer heat." --The Washington Post on The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate