Elizabeth Gilbert Historical Romance Stern Men – Elizabeth Gilbert (2000) A witty coming-of-age novel about Ruth Thomas, a headstrong woman caught in family feuds and the male-dominated world of Maine lobster fishing.
Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Nigel and the White Company Adventure Historical The White Company – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1891) The White Company by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a historical adventure set during the Hundred Years’ War, following English archers on a quest for glory.
Elizabeth Gaskell Classics Historical Romance Sylvia’s Lovers – Elizabeth Gaskell (1863) Sylvia’s Lovers by Elizabeth Gaskell is a historical romance set during the Napoleonic Wars, weaving love, betrayal, and duty in a Yorkshire whaling town.
William Golding Historical Psychological The Spire – William Golding (1964) Dean Jocelin is obsessed with constructing an impossibly high spire atop a cathedral, testing his faith, ambition, and the limits of human endurance.
H Rider Haggard Adventure Historical Romance Cleopatra – H Rider Haggard (1851) Cleopatra by H. Rider Haggard follows Harmachis, an Egyptian prince destined to overthrow Cleopatra, but entangled in her allure and Egypt’s political turmoil.
DH Lawrence Historical Psychological The Fox – DH Lawrence (1923) The Fox by D.H. Lawrence portrays the psychological and emotional conflict between two women and a soldier in a rural English setting after World War I.
Alexandre Dumas Historical Satire The Borgias – Alexandre Dumas (1839) The Borgias by Alexandre Dumas explores the scandalous rise of Pope Alexander VI and his children Cesare and Lucrezia, notorious for power, corruption, and intrigue.
Benjamin Disraeli Historical Satire Sybil or The Two Nations – Benjamin Disraeli (1845) Sybil, or The Two Nations by Benjamin Disraeli explores class division in Victorian England, highlighting the struggles between the rich aristocracy and the poor.
AB Mitford Fantasy Historical The Tale of the Forty-Seven Rônins – AB Mitford (1871) The Tale of the Forty-Seven Rônins by A.B. Mitford recounts the legendary story of samurai loyalty, honor, and revenge during feudal Japan’s Edo period.
Mary Johnston Adventure Historical Romance To Have and To Hold – Mary Johnston (1899) To Have and To Hold by Mary Johnston is a historical romance set in 17th-century colonial Virginia, filled with adventure, love, and conflict in the New World.
