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Category: Women's Fiction
Best Historical Women's Fiction
Historical fiction is a genre of fiction set in a past era. It can be about any period from the Stone Age to the present day, though most historical women's fiction concentrates on more "glamorous" periods of time than caveman days! Think women in big swishy dresses... or World War period garb.
No matter what the dress or time period, historical women's fiction authors explore the social and cultural climate of a particular time period, as well as that time period’s customs and norms, to examine female lives and perspectives that are otherwise not given much attention in history books.
This genre has been dominated by women writers who not only saw it as an opportunity to explore other cultures but also as a way to challenge conventional gender roles.
The earliest writers were often aristocrats who were looking for something new to read. They would then share their newfound love for this genre with their servants, who would then pass it on to other servants, which led to its popularity.
If you're a fan of deeply moving, sweeping sagas about strong women from other times, this is your genre!
Historical Women's Fiction
Rebecca Rosenberg
"Barbe-Nicole is a captivating main character, particularly with her inheritance of "Le Nez" and the effect on her life. From grapes to pigs, the adventures she gets into with her nose are fascinating and are described in detailed and engaging ways. The champagne empire she builds is admirable, as is her relationship with Francois and its challenges. ~ WRITER'S DIGEST 2022
1815. The First Woman of Champagne, Veuve Clicquot, battles pandemics, mental health, sexist laws that prohibit women from owning a business, fifteen years of Napoleons wars to conquer Europe, and Napoleon himself, to forge her champagne empire.
Kathleen Shoop
2019 Donora, Pennsylvania When Lucy rushes into the attic, she discovers her beloved grandfather clutching a fat, hand-illustrated, antique book. It is the story of Donora, the town that shaped America, its people and Patryk himself. Before long, Lucy and her son Owen lose track of their goal to get Grandpa Patryk somewhere “safe” as they’re drawn into stories that read like real-life fairytales born of purpose, hard-work, and chance. 1910 Donora, Pennsylvania Mary Lancos’ tattered home bursts with siblings and boarders making her determined to marry well.
S. Lee Fisher
Rural Western Pennsylvania. Society is not ready for the beautiful, brilliant, and independent, Olive Westchester to shine.
Olive dreams of being valued. Misunderstood, resented, and ignored by her large family after her mother's death, her only ally is an older brother who loves her unconditionally. The hard-headed girl’s visions of making her mark are threatened by a close-minded father and a community resentful of her superior intellect.
Striving for education, despite her family’s low expectations, she is ordered instead to become a wealthy man’s wife. Will life, tragedy, and her decisions change her destiny forever and derail her dreams, breaking her spirit?
Multi-award winning, Becoming Olive W. is the dark coming-of-age first book of The Women of Campbell County saga. Check out this emotionally intense series, filled with determined characters, complex relationships, and realistic historical settings.
Michelle Deerwester-Dalrymple
James Douglas's heart is as black as his name. Yet the king commands him to marry the daughter of a fallen Laird. Tosia and James cling to the slender thread of hope to survive, but will that thread be cut too soon?
