One thing about writing historical fiction is that you read a lot of it! In the countdown to the Publication Day of Her Secret Soldier on 12 September, I’ve been re-reading some of my favourites. Here’s a list:
Ellen Keith
The Dutch Wife and The Dutch Orphan combine three essential ingredients of historical fiction: a fast-paced story, great research and prose that sings.
Kristin Hannah
While Kristin Hannah has written many note-worthy historical fictions, in my view the best are The Nightingale, set in Occupied France during WWII, and The Women, which brings to light the female unsung heroes of the Vietnam War.
Kate Atkinson
While not specifically known as a historical fiction author, Kate Atkinson tackles the genre with brilliance. In her novel Life After Life a woman born in 1910 must relive her life again and again, always with a different outcome. In some versions, she plays a key role in historical events – including an attempt on the life of Hitler.
Anna Stuart
Like me, Anna Stuart writes for Bookouture. Her novel The Bletchley Girls is especially recommended.
Anthony Doerr
All the Light We Cannot See is an exceptional novel. Don’t let the Netflix adaptation put you off – it barely resembles the book, which is a gripping read, and took 10 years to research and write.
Geraldine Brooks
People of the Book uses the restoration of a rare book as its starting point and moves back through the book’s history, through WW2, into the 1600s and beyond. The novel manages something historical fiction only rarely achieves: it educates while never failing to entertain.
Shauna Singh Baldwin
The Tiger Claw is literally one of the best WW2 novels ever, and piqued my interest in writing about this period. So many writers tell the stories of the brave men and women who worked as secret agents behind enemy lines, but few do it as well as this.
Anne Michaels
Fugitive Pieces and Held both deal with the impact of war on the lives of those trapped within it. Only a poet can write historical fiction like this.
Tatiana de Rosnay
Sarah’s Key is justifiably famous and heartbreaking. A gorgeous book and an important story.
Suzanne Kelman
Another Bookouture historical fiction writer! If you’re looking for well researched books with fast-paced plots, Kelman is a fabulous choice. Check out her books on Amazon!
If this list leans towards WW2 fiction, that’s because this era is currently my ‘thing’! Her Secret Soldier is set in England in 1940 and deals with a little-known episode of the war: the short-lived attempt by the Nazis to infiltrate Britain with spies, prior to the intended invasion. It’s a mystery, a tale of love against the odds – and it will be available on Kindle Unlimited, in print and on Audible.com on 12th September 2024.
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