Time Travel Through Pages: Must-Read Historical Fiction Novels

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Set against the backdrop of the 18th-century French Revolution, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is an everlasting creation of hope and despair at the brink of social injustice.

One of the longest and most engaging lines that hooks the reader from the very first moment is the fountain of the truth of human life and revolutions that abolish the tarnished past and welcome the new beginning—a juxtaposition of good and bad, old and new, and more. This famous first line summarizes the perils of humanity at every turn of history, and it’s relevant for all time to come.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way.

This novel shows the rebellions and transformations that take place both in the political and societal spaces. It’s imminent when inequality and social injustice are on the rise and their consequences

This story takes place from 1775 to 1792, at the onset of the French Revolution, when Sydney Carton sacrifices his own life for his friends Darney and Manette. Symbolically, it is a Christian allegory of the resurrection and redemption of Christ. The story starts with a 17-year-old flashback story where Lucie, knowing that both her parents are not alive, suddenly learns from Mr. Lorry that her father is imprisoned and alive in France. Lucie meets her father in Bastille, and as the story unfolds, Darney falls in love with Lucie, and gradually Sydney Carton gets caught in the trial where Darney was accused. It’s a breath-taking mystery of realism that shows the eternal struggle for resurrection against inequality.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Published in 1958, Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart is the epitome of Nigerian literature and has gained recognition worldwide for its unbiased tale of colonialism in Africa. The story is set at the beginning of colonization in Africa. It shows how the culture and beliefs of an Igbo man and his community are replaced by other cultural reinforcements in the name of humanizing the “Heart of Darkness”.

This story shares the untold perspectives of the colonized and how simple community-based structures and social harmony were shifted with British colonization and triggered a loss of identity.

My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk

Orhan Pamuk’s My Name is Red is historical fiction with blends of mystery and fascination against the backdrop of the Ottoman Empire of Turkey in 1500.

It’s breath-taking narration from the murderer, who just murdered one of the commissioned artists to secretly contribute to a book celebrating the Ottoman Sultan’s reign. This book exposes the self-consciousness of the readers to such a level that readers are bound to scrutinize their own consciousness.

Book 4: Thebes at War by Naguib Mahfouz

Set in the background of ancient Egypt, Naguib Mahfuz’s “Thebes at War” is epic-style fiction where ancient Egypt’s triumphant defeat of the Asiatic foreigners is recreated with live imagery, realism, facts, and a thrilling narration of excruciating defeats and intense victories. You will be enthralled to read and re-read the visual artifacts and vivid imagery recreated in your mind with undaunted concentration during this time travel to ancient Egypt.

Thebes at War by Naguib Mahfouz

Set in the background of Ancient Egypt, Naguib Mahfuz’s “Thebes at War” is an epic-style fiction where ancient Egypt’s triumphant defeat of the Asiatic foreigners are recreated with live imagery, realism, facts and a thrilling narration of excruciating defeats and intense victories. You will be enthralled to read and re-read the visual artifacts and vivid imagery recreated in your mind with undaunted concentration to this time travel to ancient Egypt.

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

For a time-traveling ride in the pre-Civil War and 1970s United States, Octavia E. Butler’s 1979 book Kindred depicts the life of a modern black woman who is pulled back from her home in California into the South as a plantation slave of her ancestral past. It portrays the shocking drama, tension, and, most importantly, the dark and dehumanizing history of racism and discrimination. A historical novel with twists, turns, and life lessons that will lead you to rethink and awaken your conscience once again

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Published in 2005, Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief shows the unprecedented power and importance of storytelling in unfolding the story of perseverance and humanity where a small girl steals books to share with her foster father, her neighbors, and a Jewish man hidden in her basement. The story is crafted against the backdrop of Nazi Germany in the 1940s, where in the dilapidated war zone, people find hope in the stories of humanity and moral awakening.

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

First published in 1997, Anita Diamant’s The Red Tent takes us back to ancient Israel in Biblical times. Anita reinvents the biblical story of Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, with a new light on ancient motherhood. It’s not only passionate motherhood but also an endearing picture of biblical women’s lives.

I, Claudius by Robert Graves

Robert Graves’ autobiographical and historical novel from the perspective of the Roman Emperor Claudius was originally published in 1934. This is a hooking epic saga of Claudius from the time of his early life to adulthood and records the early days of the Roman Empire. The ever-fascinating Roman Empire is recreated with artistic vigor and absorbing storytelling.

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood’s historical fiction Alias Grace is based on the real-life story of Grace Mark in the 1840s in Canada. This historical thriller is about the aftermath of the accusation against Grace for the conviction of murdering her employer and his housekeeper mistress. Grace asserts boldly that she has no memory of the day. This is the kind of story in which you cannot leave pages unturned.

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Are you ready to read a prize-winning classic of absolute historical fiction? Then you must read Toni Morrison’s Beloved, a story set in 1870s Ohio amid a post-Civil War scenario. The story of Sethe, a fugitive slave living with her daughter and mother-in-law amid the harsh realities of racism It is a conjuring tale of the agony and viciousness of slavery and its long-lasting impacts in modern times as well.