Check it Out: Through the Lens of History

Historical fiction novels are a wonderful blending that allows us to learn about historical events in the embrace of a story. They can take many forms, as long as they adhere to the parameters for this type of fiction. The time period, for example, must be real in history, and the place must be real or authentic. Characters, plots and scenes can be either real or fictional, but they must remain congruent with the time period, which is the anchor of this genre. Historical mysteries and romances follow these same guidelines.

Like history itself, historical fiction can be subdivided based on time periods. Here are novels or series worth investigating, set in each time period.

Prehistory (up to c. 3000 BCE)

Earth’s Children series by Jean Auel
North America’s Forgotten Past series by W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O’Neal Gear

Classical (c. 3000 BCD - 500 AD)

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
Pompeii by Robert Harris
River God by Wilbur Smith

Middle Ages (c. 500 - 1300)

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Hild by Nicola Griffith

Late Middle Ages/Renaissance (1300 - 1600)

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
The Color Storm: A Novel of Renaissance Venice by Damian Dibben

Early Modern Period (1600 - 1800)

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
Shōgun by James Clavell

19th Century (1800 - 1899)

Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell
Alaska by James Michener

20th Century (1900 - 1999, including the World Wars)

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow
The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

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