Historical Fiction Books That Defy Genre

The Underground Railroad Colson Whitehead

[{"selector":"#anim-24a9e780-47f7-4534-83a2-11dce260dfc0 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(7.395833074812906%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-86d44fd6-d480-4550-8e97-e39790d6ef05","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] This Pulitzer-winning novel blends history with magical realism, reimagining the Underground Railroad as an actual railway system. Learn more

The Night Circus – Erin Morgenstern

[{"selector":"#anim-623e35ba-2de7-4eca-8e8c-5792ba74d216 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(6.597221958855852%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4517e932-2d63-4c22-9478-855b74186a9c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] A mesmerizing tale of a mysterious 19th-century circus, blending historical fiction with fantasy and romance in a dreamlike setting. Learn more

The Yiddish Policemen’s Union – Michael Chabon

[{"selector":"#anim-a623feac-1d35-4c25-a7f0-1821ac61a3cd [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(7.0610684417383105%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-595294cd-be0f-4834-93d8-50f349f1bfb0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] An alternate history where Jewish refugees settle in Alaska, mixed with noir crime fiction and political intrigue. Learn more

Lincoln in the Bardo – George Saunders

[{"selector":"#anim-39782ab8-494a-4fc2-b3a0-170815bf4939 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(7.770270014021912%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-75d6acdc-be9c-4839-a984-33cd6626525f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] A unique blend of historical fiction and the supernatural, set in a graveyard where Abraham Lincoln’s son interacts with restless spirits. Learn more

Outlander – Diana Gabaldon

[{"selector":"#anim-4ee41565-d364-4196-8277-efbba7364665 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(5.778301618456906%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bf3d0c5d-dd25-4ca3-9549-b1cb3f4c3a33","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Time travel meets historical fiction as a WWII nurse is transported to 18th-century Scotland, caught in love and political turmoil. Learn more

The Kingdoms – Natasha Pulley

[{"selector":"#anim-e77fd9e1-a36f-4856-b280-adb2e4576cd4 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(7.25683864641124%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0d6f7522-c425-47e4-aea6-d7f127f4820d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] A mind-bending alternate history where time travel, memory, and war collide in a world where Britain lost the Napoleonic Wars. Learn more