New Historical Novels

Do you like to read about distant times and places? Do you look for novels that bring history to life? Here are some recently released historical novels that are well-written and well-researched.

Blood and Beauty by Sarah Dunant explores the lives of siblings Lucretia and Cesare Borgia in late 15th century Italy. Caught up in their father's quest for power, these illegitimate children of Pope Alexander VI will stop at almost nothing to extend their family's influence beyond the Papacy.  By the author of the popular The Birth of Venus.

The White Princess by Philippa Gregory.  Elizabeth of York loved Richard III but was forced to marry Henry Tudor. Her marriage united two powerful families and in effect, ended England's famous War of the Roses. Mostly forgotten today she was also the mother of Henry VIII and grandmother of Elizabeth I.  This is her story as imagined by Gregory. Fans of The Red Queen and The Kingmaker's Daughter will enjoy this new installment in the "Cousins' War" series.

Paris by Edward Rutherfurd traces the evolution of "The City of Light" from the 13th century through the mid-20th century, weaving together stories of Parisians from various walks of life. Beginning in the era of great cathedrals and the construction of Notre Dame, through the Belle Epoch, to the humiliations of the Nazi occupation during World War II, the author offers insights into this European city's timeless appeal. Rutherfurd is well-known for his sweeping historical sagas including New York and London.

Crossing Purgatory by Gary Schanbacher. When his wife and children die from prairie fever, Thompson Grey buries his family and then, tormented by grief and guilt, walks away from his prosperous Indiana farm. It's the mid-19th century; he joins a Santa Fe Trail wagon train and heads west to the Colorado Territory. Border ruffians, abolitionists, and a plague of grasshoppers test his mettle as he looks for redemption among new and challenging terrain. An eloquent, elegant first novel.