The Best Historical Fiction Books to Read in 2025

Two sisters facing wartime upheaval find solace—and unexpected power—through a secret book club in this dual-timeline novel from the bestselling author of Lilac Girls.

Inspired by the life of G.W. Pabst, one of cinema’s greatest directors, The Director follows his journey from Hollywood to Nazi-occupied Austria. Forced to create propaganda films for the regime, Pabst confronts the blurred lines between artistic integrity and survival, while grappling with his pact with the devil. Zadie Smith called it “a wonderful book about complicity and the complicity of art… funny and brilliant.”

"Historical fiction you can feel in your bones," declared the Los Angeles Times in their list of most anticipated books of 2025. The author of Room reconstructs the infamous 1895 Montparnasse train disaster through diverse passengers from across Europe and beyond.

When a West Virginia resort is conscripted to host Axis diplomats in 1942, its general manager must keep secrets, spirits, and staff from unraveling. "A brilliant historical enemies-to-lovers tale with a magical sweetwater spring running through it," praise Oprah Daily.

Set in the turmoil of civil war, Isabel Allende’s latest historical novel follows a young writer’s journey to South America in search of the truth about her father and her own identity. "Isabel Allende never fails to deliver on the sweeping and spellbinding front," praised Today. "Her latest historical novel is about an ambitious young aspiring writer who goes after her dreams--much like Allende herself did."

The prize-winning Irish author of Where They Were Missed whisks readers to war-ravaged Belfast in 1941, where two sisters try to carry on amid the bombing and the rubble. SJP hailed this “intimate celebration of sisterhood and a moving tribute to childhoods cut short by war. Rich in voice and beautifully rooted in place, Lucy Caldwell's characters leap from the page in all their joy and devastation. The result is a novel of stunning ambition."

From the bestselling author of Hour of the Witch comes a historical love story set in war-torn Virginia in 1864. When a Confederate woman finds a wounded Union officer near death, she must choose between duty and conscience, risking everything to save an enemy. Inspired by true events, this richly atmospheric novel is “propulsive and tense with each plot turn… a flawless novel,” according to The Historical Novel Society.

Before Francis Picabia and Marcel Duchamp shook up modern art, Gabriële Buffet-Picabia was helping lead the way. Written by her great-granddaughters, this vibrant novel brings to life the daring woman behind the avant-garde. A literary hit in France, now ready to charm U.S. readers.