Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
You may want to know what I mean by promising the “10 best historical novels set in America.” So, allow me to disclose here at the outset that I don’t claim this is a list of the best such novels ever published. Or even the best published in recent years. These books represent the best historical novels set in America that I’ve read and reviewed over the past 14 years. I’ve selected them from the nearly 300 historical novels I’ve read as of the end of 2023.
I’ve divided this list into four groups, starting with the 10 best. That’s followed by three lists which include other novels grouped by my rating (from 3-star to 5-star). You’ll see at a glance that nearly all the books listed here received ratings of 4 or 5 stars. Only a handful received 3 stars, and none any fewer. And that’s no accident. I carefully screen books before I read them. And if I’m disappointed when I begin reading a book and don’t care to finish it, I simply drop it. I only review books I’ve read from cover to cover.
Within each list, the books appear in alphabetical order by the authors’ last names.
These 10 novels left me with vivid memories
One more word of explanation. In selecting the top 10 books, I listed those that left me with the most vivid memories. But I arbitrarily limited myself to including only a single title from any author. You’ll see, of course, that several authors—Geraldine Brooks, Louise Erdrich, Thomas Mallon, James McBride, and Colson Whitehead—appear multiple times below. Practically everything any of these people have written is excellent.
Oh, and one more thing. Scattered among these lists are numerous books that have won Pulitzer Prizes and National Book Awards. I don’t find those awards an infallible guide to good reading. But they usually are.
Enjoy.
10 best historical novels set in America
Horse by Geraldine Brooks (2022) 416 pages ★★★★★—A novel about a famous racehorse sheds light on slavery
In a tale spanning nearly two centuries, Australian-born historical novelist Geraldine Brooks explores the world of horse-racing in mid-19th-century America. In doing so, she brings to light the cruel realities of slavery in ante-bellum Kentucky and the Deep South. It’s a gripping story.
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich (2020) 464 pages ★★★★★—Louise Erdrich on Indian cultural genocide
Native American history and culture comes to light in the novels of award-winning author Louise Erdrich. The Night Watchman, one of her eighteen novels to date, won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Erdrich is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, a federally recognized tribe of Ojibwe people. And she writes beautifully.
Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane (2023) 320 pages ★★★★★—When the cracks opened wide in Boston society
In the 1970s, school busing roiled American society coast to coast. But in few places were its effects more explosive than in South Boston. Boston-based author Dennis Lehane dramatizes those events in a beautifully plotted murder mystery. Lehane is a master of crime fiction, and this novel may be his best.
Finale: A Novel of the Reagan Years by Thomas Mallon (2015) 560 pages ★★★★★—Ronald Reagan deconstructed in a new novel
Political novelist Thomas Mallon, openly gay and a Republican, brilliantly portrays the life of our fortieth president as an enigma. Nancy Reagan sums up her view of the man after half a century of marriage in that spirit: “she didn’t know who he was, and she never had.” This book humanizes Ronald Reagan, providing a balanced picture of the man as well as the president.
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride (2023) 400 pages ★★★★★—Is this the Great American novel?
The Pulitzers and the National Book Awards for 2023 haven’t yet been chosen, but this novel seems sure to be a contender. Written with McBride’s signature wit and sensitivity, The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store depicts the life of African American migrants from the South and Jewish immigrants from the pogroms of Europe in 1936 in a small Pennsylvania town, where they mingle uneasily with the White city fathers.
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead (2019) 210 pages ★★★★★—A brilliant novel dramatizes life under Jim Crow
In one of his two Pulitzer Prize-winners, Colson Whitehead brings into the light of day the tragic history of racism at the Florida Industrial School for Boys. In the novel, the school is named for its long-time director, Trevor Nickel. Set in the 1960s, The Nickel Boys conveys the visceral impact of Jim Crow as few accounts have done before.
The Cold Millions by Jess Walter (2020) 351 pages ★★★★★—A gripping tale about the early American labor movement
In post-World War II America, trade unions helped deliver a prosperous economy and comfortable lives to a growing middle class. But their success rested on the exertions of a small number of heroic labor organizers beginning late in the 19th century. Novelist Jess Walter memorably introduces them to us in a story based on historical events in the Northwest United States beginning in 1909.
All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren (1946) 674 pages ★★★★★—Was politics during the Great Depression really like this?
Many lists of the greatest American novels include Robert Penn Warren’s evocative portrait of Huey P. Long. Governor and later Senator from Louisiana, the demagogic Democrat campaigned nationwide for a utopian program to Share Our Wealth. His plan to unseat Franklin Roosevelt in the 1936 election was cut short in 1935 by his assassination.
The Lost Diary of M by Paul Wolfe (2020) 304 pages ★★★★★—John F. Kennedy’s lover kept a diary, and it was explosive
JFK was well known to the news media for his liaisons with many women who were not his wife during the less than three years he served as president. Most were one-night stands. But his relationship with Mary Pinchot Meyer was different. A beautiful socialite divorced from a senior CIA official, Meyer was a painter. And the search for her diary after her mysterious murder in 1964 raised suspicions about the circumstances of the President’s assassination. Paul Wolfe centers his novel on these historical facts.
Four Treasures of the Sky by Jenny Tinghui Zhang (2022) 321 pages ★★★★★—The Chinese immigrant experience in 19th-century America
Popular histories of the United States in the 19th century today recognize the contribution of imported Chinese laborers in building the nation’s transcontinental railroad (completed in 1869). Some accounts also refer to the large numbers of Chinese who joined the flood of prospectors for gold in the years after 1849. But they rarely delve into the tragic history of racism and mass murder that followed Chinese immigrants in the West. This riveting novel tells that story.
Other historical novels rated 5-star
March by Geraldine Brooks (2005) 320 pages ★★★★★—This Civil War novel brings hidden truths to light
Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks (2011) 354 pages ★★★★★—In Colonial America, the first Native American goes to Harvard
The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt ★★★★★—Hired killers, the California Gold Rush, and lots of surprises
Homer & Langley by E L Doctorow (2009) 224 pages ★★★★★—E. L. Doctorow on the legendary Collyer brothers
The March by E. L. Doctorow (2005) 384 pages ★★★★★—A moving novel about Sherman’s March to the Sea
Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan (2017) 449 pages ★★★★★—Jennifer Egan’s bestselling historical novel is a winner
The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich (2020) 464 pages ★★★★★—Tragedy, on and off the reservation
The Gods of Gotham (Timothy Wilde #1) by Lyndsay Faye (2012) 429 pages ★★★★★—The first cops in old New York star in a thrilling historical novel
Echo House by Ward Just (1997) 320 pages ★★★★★—Who wields the real power in Washington, DC?
The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri (2013) 340 pages ★★★★★—A haunting tale of love and loss spanning India and America
Fellow Travelers by Thomas Mallon (2007) 368 pages ★★★★★—Thomas Mallon on America’s third Red Scare
Landfall by Thomas Mallon (2019) 497 pages ★★★★★—A novelist’s sympathetic portrait of George W. Bush
Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra (2022) 446 pages ★★★★★—European refugees add luster to wartime Hollywood
The Good Lord Bird by James McBride (2013) 434 pages ★★★★★—American history, laughing all the way
Deacon King Kong by James McBride (2020) 383 pages ★★★★★—Unforgettable characters in this delightful new novel
The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott (2019) 325 pages ★★★★★—Doctor Zhivago and the women in the CIA typing pool
A Kind of Freedom by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton (2018) 230 pages ★★★★★—A powerful family drama about living with Jim Crow
Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld (2020) 417 pages ★★★★★—Hillary Rodham before—and after—Bill Clinton
All Our Yesterdays by Erik Tarloff (2014) 382 pages ★★★★★—Sex, drugs, and revolution: Berkeley in the 70s
Harlem Shuffle (Harlem Trilogy #1) by Colson Whitehead (2021) 336 pages ★★★★★—Life and crime on the edge in Harlem
Straw Dogs of the Universe by Ye Chun (2023) 336 pages ★★★★★—A deeply moving immigrant story set in the 19th century
Historical novels rated 4-star
True Believers by Kurt Andersen ★★★★☆—James Bond, lies within lies, and coming of age in the 1960s
Sneaky People by Thomas Berger ★★★★☆—Revisiting black humor (not Black humor)
The Judge Hunter by Christopher Buckley (2018) 368 pages ★★★★☆—A picaresque adventure in Colonial New England and New Amsterdam
The Alienist by Caleb Carr (1994) 608 pages ★★★★☆—In a classic whydunit, The Alienist makes his debut
The Perilous Adventures of the Cowboy King: A Novel of Teddy Roosevelt and His Times by Jerome Charyn (2019) 300 pages ★★★★☆—A stirring novel about the colorful first President Roosevelt
Frog Music by Emma Donoghue (2014) 405 pages ★★★★☆—Unforgettable characters in 19th century San Francisco
The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy (1987) 386 pages ★★★★☆—A classic crime novel about LA’s unsolved Black Dahlia murder
A Death of No Importance (Jane Prescott #1) by Mariah Fredericks (2018) 289 pages ★★★★☆—A mine disaster, and a murder, in this Gilded Age mystery
Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris (2022) 477 pages ★★★★☆—They killed the king. Will they pay the price?
Fever: A Novel of Typhoid Mary by Mary Beth Keane (2013) 320 pages ★★★★☆—Love, disease, and self-deception: the life of Typhoid Mary
Live by Night (Coughlin #2) by Dennis Lehane (2012) 432 pages ★★★★☆—A thoughtful, action-packed crime story
Dewey Defeats Truman by Thomas Mallon (1997) 368 pages ★★★★☆—From Thomas Mallon, a terrific political history novel
Watergate by Thomas Mallon (2012) 448 pages ★★★★☆—Watergate through a novelist’s eyes
New York: The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd (2009) 880 pages ★★★★☆—An epic historical novel about New York City
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel (2020) 320 pages ★★★★☆—A Wall Street scandal at the heart of Emily St. John Mandel’s novel
The Constable’s Tale: A Novel of Colonial America by Donald Smith ★★★★☆—A clever detective novel set in Colonial America
Golden Hill: A Novel of Old New York by Francis Spufford (2017) 321 pages ★★★★☆—7,000 people lived in Old New York in this charming historical novel
Girl Waits With Gun (Kopp Sisters #1) by Amy Stewart (2016) 421 pages ★★★★☆—She was the country’s first female deputy sheriff
Lady Cop Makes Trouble (Kopp Sisters #2) by Amy Stewart (2016) 325 pages ★★★★☆—A real lady cop a century ago in an excellent fact-based crime novel
The Woman in Black by Erik Tarloff (2019) 280 pages ★★★★☆—A Hollywood mystery woman, the Blacklist, and a legendary actor
Crook Manifesto (Harlem Trilogy #2) by Colson Whitehead (2023) 336 pages ★★★★☆—Colson Whitehead’s Harlem trilogy continues
Historical novels rated 3-star
Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer by Stephen Millhauser (1996) 306 pages ★★★☆☆—This Pulitzer winner falls flat
Barkskins by Annie Proulx (2016) 736 pages ★★★☆☆—A sad tale of disappearing forests
Charcoal Joe (Easy Rawlins #14) by Walter Mosley (2016) 309 pages ★★★☆☆—Everybody’s favorite African-American detective
Miss Kopp’s Midnight Confessions (Kopp Sisters #3) by Amy Stewart (2017) 402 pages ★★★☆☆—The lady cop who fascinated America a century ago
For related reading
You’ll find books on related topics at:
- 25 most enlightening historical novels
- Top 10 historical mysteries and thrillers
- Top 20 popular books for understanding American history
And you can always find my most popular reviews, and the most recent ones, on the Home Page.
