In what has become one of my favourite semi-annual posts, today I am sharing the historical ficiton books that I am most excited to read in the first half of the year. (I am only covering the first half of the year because many books have not been announced or confirmed yet.) This is not an exhaustive list, it must be said. There are most definitely historical fiction books coming out that I have not come across yet and will love, so no statement is being made if I’ve not included them here. Without further adieu, onto my to-read historical fiction books of 2023!
I have included the North American publishing dates here, as of 30 December 2022. If the dates change, I will do my best to update this post if I catch it but please double check the date for yourself wherever you purchase books. (I would highly recommend double checking, as I’ve seen several books change publishing dates by 4-6 months in the last bit.)
The Mitford Affair, Marie Benedict- 17 January 2023
Between the World Wars, the six Mitford sisters dominate the English political, literary, and social scenes. Though they’ve weathered scandals before, the family falls into disarray when Diana divorces her husband to marry a fascist leader and Unity follows her sister’s lead, inciting rumors that she’s become Hitler’s own mistress.
Novelist Nancy Mitford is the only member of her family to keep in touch with Diana and Unity after their desertion, so it falls to her to act when her sisters become spies for the Nazi party.
Probing the torrid political climate of World War II and the ways that sensible people can be sucked into radical action, The Mitford Affair follows Nancy’s valiant efforts to end the war and the cost of placing loyalty to her country above loyalty to her family.
Why I Want to Read This…
I will admit, I have not finished a Marie Benedict novel yet. She is obviously a talented and popular author, and the subject matter always draws me in but I find the pacing a tad slow for me. However, I am immensely fascinated by the Mitford sisters and I am going to give her books one more try! Frustratingly for me, her audiobooks are Audible exclusives for the most part, and I think that listening to her books rather than reading them would help with the pacing. However, I only use Kobo for my ebooks and audiobooks, and I do not need to subscribe to yet another service.
The Porcelain Moon, Janie Chang- 21 February 2023
France, 1918. In the final days of the First World War, a young Chinese woman, Pauline Deng, runs away from her uncle’s home in Paris to evade a marriage being arranged for her in Shanghai. To prevent the union, she needs the help of her cousin Theo, who is working as a translator for the Chinese Labour Corps in the French countryside. In the town of Noyelles-sur-Mer, Camille Roussel is planning her escape from an abusive marriage, and to end a love affair that can no longer continue. When Camille offers Pauline a room for her stay, the two women become friends. But it’s not long before Pauline uncovers a perilous secret that Camille has been hiding from her. As their dangerous situation escalates, the two women are forced to make a terrible decision that will bind them together for the rest of their lives.
Set against the little-known history of the 140,000 Chinese workers brought to Europe as non-combatant labor during WWI, The Porcelain Moon is a tale of forbidden love, identity and belonging, and what we are willing to risk for freedom.
Why I Want to Read This…
You will notice this is the only book included focused on one of the World Wars, as they usually don’t grab me. However, The Library of Legends was in my top 3 books of 2022 and that was firmly centred on the Second World War, so I knew I would want to read another book from Chang. Similar to Library, I have very little knowledge of non-combatant labour used in the war (aside from the basic fact that it happened).
The London Séance Society, Sarah Penner- 21 March 2023
May mercy be upon the man who finds himself the enemy of a vengeful medium…
- At an abandoned château on the outskirts of Paris, a dark séance is about to take place, led by acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire. Known worldwide for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims to ascertain the identities of the people who killed them, she is highly sought after by widows and investigators alike.
Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to find answers about her sister’s death, but to do so, she must embrace the unknown and overcome her own logic-driven bias against the occult. When Vaudeline is beckoned to England to solve a high-profile murder, Lenna accompanies her as an understudy. But as the women team up with the powerful men of London’s exclusive Séance Society to solve the mystery, they begin to suspect that they are not merely out to solve a crime, but perhaps entangled in one themselves…
Why I Want to Read This…
The Lost Apothecary was one of my favourite books that I read in 2021, so this one immediately jumped out at me. If you have seen my Twitter timeline, you will know that I (unknowingly) shared a controversial opinion that I prefer my books to have a single timeline* so I did debate this book first. The Lost Apothecary does have a dual timeline and this synopsis is not clear whether or not it is, but I am still going to give this one a try!
*From the countless authors that responded to the tweet: 1) yes, I understand that you have to somewhat write to what publishers will take and that is what they are taking, and 2) yes, I understand that you might prefer writing dual timelines. This is just my preference a reader!
Coronation Year, Jennifer Robson- 4 April 2023
It is Coronation Year, 1953, and a new queen is about to be crowned. The people of London are in a mood to celebrate, none more so than the residents of the Blue Lion hotel.
Edie Howard, owner and operator of the floundering Blue Lion, has found the miracle she needs: on Coronation Day, Queen Elizabeth in her gold coach will pass by the hotel’s front door, allowing Edie to charge a fortune for rooms and, barring disaster, save her beloved home from financial ruin. Edie’s luck might just be turning, all thanks to a young queen about her own age.
Stella Donati, a young Italian photographer and Holocaust survivor, has come to live at the Blue Lion while she takes up a coveted position at Picture Weekly magazine. London in celebration mode feels like a different world to her. As she learns the ins and outs of her new profession, Stella discovers a purpose and direction that honor her past and bring hope for her future.
James Geddes, a war hero and gifted artist, has struggled to make his mark in a world that disdains his Indian ancestry. At the Blue Lion, though, he is made to feel welcome and worthy. Yet even as his friendship with Edie deepens, he begins to suspect that something is badly amiss at his new home.
When anonymous threats focused on Coronation Day, the Blue Lion, and even the queen herself disrupt their mood of happy optimism, Edie and her friends must race to uncover the truth, save their home, and expose those who seek to erase the joy and promise of Coronation Year.
Why I Want to Read This…
Quite frankly, I saw that it was a quasi-mystery centred around Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation and I was immediately invested. I really enjoyed The Gown, Robson’s hist-fic novel about Norman Hartnell’s coronation gown, so there is a high likelihood I will also enjoy this, as well!
To Swoon and To Spar, Martha Waters- 11 April 2023
Viscount Penvale has been working for years to buy back his ancestral home, Trethwick Abbey, from his estranged uncle. And so he’s thrilled when his uncle announces that he is ready to sell but with one major caveat—Penvale must marry his uncle’s ward, Jane Spencer.
When the two meet in London, neither is terribly impressed. Penvale finds Jane headstrong and sharp-tongued. Jane finds him cold and aloof. Nevertheless, they agree to a marriage in name only and return to the estate. There, Jane enlists her housekeeper for a scheme: to stage a haunting so that Penvale will return to London, leaving her to do as she pleases at Trethwick Abbey. But Penvale is not as easily scared as his uncle and as their time together increases, Jane realizes that she might not mind her husband’s company all that much.
Why I Want to Read This…
This was another automatic “I have to read this” book. Waters’ books are my favourite historical romances, and she has never once disappointed me. Her novels are hiliarious (the best banter you will ever read), have great pacing, and this lovable cast of friends and frenemies feels like family now!
Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl, Renée Rosen- 25 April 2023
In New York City, you can disappear into the crowd. At least that’s what Gloria Downing desperately hopes as she tries to reinvent herself after a devastating family scandal. She’s ready for a total life makeover and a friend she can lean on—and into her path walks a young, idealistic woman named Estée. Their chance encounter will change Gloria’s life forever.
Estée dreams of success and becoming a household name like Elizabeth Arden, Helena Rubinstein, and Revlon. Before Gloria knows it, she is swept up in her new friend’s mission and while Estée rolls up her sleeves, Gloria begins to discover her own talents. After landing a job at Saks Fifth Avenue, New York’s finest luxury department store, Gloria finds her voice, which proves instrumental in opening doors for Estée’s insatiable ambitions.
But in a world unaccustomed to women with power, they’ll each have to pay the price that comes with daring to live life on their own terms and refusing to back down.
Why I Want to Read This…
I did not realise it until I wrote my Best Books To Read if You Love The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel post, but I have read several of Rosen’s novels and loved them all. Typically I don’t gravitate towards novels set past the 1950s (give or take). However, given that I did enjoy all of her previous novels that I have read and I am a sucker for a good department store story, I am very much looking forward to this!
The Brightest Star, Gail Tsukiyama- 20 June 2023
At the dawn of a new century, America is falling in love with silent movies, including young Wong Liu Tsong. The daughter of Chinese immigrants who own a laundry, Wong Liu and her older sister Lew Ying (Lulu) are taunted and bullied for their Chinese heritage. But while Lulu diligently obeys her parents and learns to speak Chinese, Wong Liu sneaks away to the local nickelodeons, buying a ticket with her lunch money and tips saved from laundry deliveries. By eleven Wong Liu is determined to become an actress and has already chosen a stage name: Anna May Wong. At sixteen, Anna May leaves high school to pursue her Hollywood dreams, defying her disapproving father and her Chinese traditional upbringing–a choice that will hold emotional and physical consequences.
After a series of nothing parts, nineteen-year-old Anna May gets her big break–and her first taste of Hollywood fame–starring opposite Douglas Fairbanks in The Thief of Bagdad. Yet her beauty and talent isn’t enough to overcome the racism that relegates her to supporting roles as a helpless, exotic butterfly or a vicious, murderous dragon lady while Caucasian actresses in yellowface” are given starring roles portraying Asian women. Though she suffers professionally and personally, Anna May fights to win lead roles, accept risqué parts, financially support her family, and keep her illicit love affairs hidden–even as she finds freedom and glittering stardom abroad, and receives glowing reviews across the globe.
Why I Want to Read This…
I have seen a few of Anna May Wong’s films and really enjoyed them, but know relatively little of the actor herself. And I have several Goodreads friends who have really enjoyed Tsukiyama’s previous novels, and I have similiar taste in novels. I suspect that I will save this one for the Canada Day long weekend (1 July) to truly sit and enjoy!
A Most Agreeable Murder, Julia Seales- 27 June 2023
Feisty, passionate Beatrice Steele has never fit the definition of a true lady, according to the strict code of conduct that reigns in Swampshire, her small English township–she is terrible at needlework, has no musical ability, and her artwork is so bad it frightens people. Nevertheless, she lives a perfectly agreeable life with her marriage-scheming mother, prankster father, and two younger sisters–beautiful Louisa and forgettable Mary. But she harbors a dark secret: She is obsessed with the true crime cases she reads about in the newspaper, even going so far as to try to solve them herself. If anyone in her etiquette-obsessed community found out, she’d be deemed a morbid creep and banished from respectable society forever.
For her family’s sake, she’s vowed to put her obsession behind her. Because eligible bachelor Edmund Croaksworth is set to attend the approaching autumnal ball, and the Steele family hopes that Louisa will steal his heart. If not, Martin Grub, their disgusting cousin, will inherit the family’s estate, and they will be ruined, or even worse, forced to move to mime-infested France. So Beatrice must be on her best behavior…which is made difficult when a disgraced yet alluring detective inexplicably shows up to the ball.
Beatrice is just holding things together when Croaksworth drops dead in the middle of a minuet. As a storm rages outside, the evening descends into a frenzy of panic, fear, and betrayal as it becomes clear they are trapped with a killer. Contending with competitive card games, tricky tonics, and Swampshire’s infamous squelch holes, Beatrice must rise above decorum and decency to pursue justice and her own desires–before anyone else is murdered.
Why I Want to Read This…
I actually have an eARC of this novel from NetGalley, and will probably be cracking into it in the next month. I am a big fan of mysteries, and when you find one that has echoes of Austen’s society in it, I’m immediately excited to read it! The idea of a true-crime obsessed woman in nineteenth-century England makes me laugh a little to start with, and it already has several excellent reviews. (My review will be up closer to publishing date.)
What books are on your to-read historical fiction books of 2023 list?
Cheers,
The Historian
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Apologies- this is a personal quirk of mine from grade school French class, always said with a laugh but I didn’t realise I stopped including my note! I will go back update. Cheers