Historical Fiction bestsellers

James

A Novel

By: Percival Everett
Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
Length: 7 hours 48 minutes

“This will be in my top five books of 2024! Percival Everett is a truly gifted storyteller! James is full of unexpected twists, tense moments, and tender times. Narrator Dominic Hoffman is incredible... the perfect person and voice for this cast of characters. I can't wait to hand sell this book! Read more

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store

A Novel

By: James McBride
Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
Length: 12 hours 21 minutes

“Reminiscent of Author's like James Baldwin and John Steinbeck, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store is a wonderful novel that focuses of racial division, poverty in America, and the importance of community. This was my first time reading McBride, but I will definitely be continuing on to his past works. If you're a character driven reader, I... Read more

Circe

By: Madeline Miller
Narrated by: Perdita Weeks
Length: 12 hours 8 minutes

“Beautifully composed and deeply compelling, Circe is hands-down one of the best novels of 2018. As she did in Song of Achilles, Miller recreates the ancient and enchanting world of Greek mythology, this time focusing on ocean nymph Circe. Cast out of her home and exiled to the island of Aiaia, Circe turns not only to her enchantments, but also... Read more

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi

A Novel

By: Shannon Chakraborty
Narrated by: Lameece Issaq & Amin El Gamal
Length: 16 hours 59 minutes

“LOVED this pirate adventure story! Protagonist is an older woman going on one last adventure, and she is BADASS AF. Super fun, and the audiobook was extremely well done! One of my favorite reads of 2023! Read more

North Woods

A Novel

By: Daniel Mason
Narrated by: Mark Bramhall, Michael Crouch, Jason Culp, Mark Deakins, Jayne Entwistle, Billie Fulford-Brown, Arthur Morey, George Newbern, Kirsten Potter & Simon Vance
Length: 11 hours 5 minutes

“It is a rare thing to find a book i consider both literary and delightful, but North Woods is both and an amazing listen to boot. If you’re headed on a long solo trip or just searching for tale that will envelop you in its loveliness, this is the one. Read more

Weyward

A Novel

By: Emilia Hart
Narrated by: Aysha Kala, Helen Keeley & Nell Barlow
Length: 10 hours 51 minutes

“This feminist take on a family whose women show an uncanny connection with wild creatures from damsel flies to crows is both stellar historical fiction and an ode to the natural world. Three parallel narratives follow generations of Weyward women, Altha, accused of witchcraft in the 15th century; Violet, living under the cruel control of an... Read more

Babel

Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of The Oxford Translators' Revolution

By: R. F. Kuang
Narrated by: Chris Lew Kum Hoi & Billie Fulford-Brown
Length: 21 hours 45 minutes

“Finishing a book like this is equal parts pleasure and pain: pleasure in that reading something as striking and beautiful as this is everything a reader hopes to feel in a book juxtaposed by the pain of something beautiful ending and leaving these characters behind in the pages. There are few books that have brought tears to my eyes (I can still... Read more

The Familiar

A Novel

By: Leigh Bardugo
Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang
Length: 12 hours 57 minutes

“Luzia and Santángel, a duo for the ages! A scullion and an immortal familiar team up to win the king’s competition in the Spanish Golden Age as the Inquisition looms. The Familiar will lead you down new paths you won’t ever forget. Read more

The Frozen River

A Novel

By: Ariel Lawhon
Narrated by: Jane Oppenheimer & Ariel Lawhon
Length: 15 hours 5 minutes

“Based on the life of Martha Ballard, an 18th-century midwife in Maine, The Frozen River is mesmerizing. Martha is brilliant and strong in a period when women were lucky to read. Throw in a murder mystery with vivid characters? Heaven. Read more

A Fate Inked in Blood

Book One of the Saga of the Unfated

Saga of the Unfated: Book #1

By: Danielle L. Jensen
Narrated by: Nina Yndis
Length: 15 hours 15 minutes

“This was absolutely EPIC on audio. If the Thor movies and The Vikings TV show had a book baby this would be it - an absolute nonstop action ride. I am chomping at the bit for the next book. Read more

Long Island

By: Colm Toibin
Narrated by: Jessie Buckley
Length: 9 hours 27 minutes

OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK * Named a Most Anticipated Book by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Financial Times, Star Tribune (Minneapolis), Good Housekeeping, AARP, and more *

From the beloved, critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling author comes a spectacularly moving and intense novel of secrecy, misunderstanding, and love, the... Read more

Mexican Gothic

By: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Narrated by: Frankie Corzo
Length: 10 hours 39 minutes

“Best book I have read this year. An amazing, gripping tale of a young woman in a strange old house. It's an epic ghost story mixed with some element for "Girl with all the Gifts." Compelling characters and a twist ending that will have you in the edge of your seat until the very end. 10/10 would recommend. Read more

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

By: V. E. Schwab
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
Length: 17 hours 9 minutes

“Schwab has a masterpiece on her hands with this title. I loved it from the beginning, and that love grew until the very end. Addie needed to find a way to escape the life she is supposed to live as a woman in France, 1714. “No matter how desperate or dire, never pray to the gods that answer after dark.” As the sun sets, she is praying to any god... Read more

Trust (Pulitzer Prize Winner)

By: Hernan Diaz
Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini, Jonathan Davis, Mozhan Marnò & Orlagh Cassidy
Length: 10 hours 20 minutes

“Who can you trust in the end? This 'brilliant literary puzzle' tells the story of the legendary Wall Street Tycoon Andrew Bevel and his enigmatic wife Mildred. Told in four interlocking parts, Trust is a novel within a novel, the fragmented notes for a ghostwritten memoir that Andrew hopes will set the record straight, the ghostwriter's own... Read more

A Gentleman in Moscow

A Novel

By: Amor Towles
Narrated by: Nicholas Guy Smith
Length: 17 hours 51 minutes

“I believe A Gentleman In Moscow is without dispute a modern day masterpiece. Towles uses exquisite language to tell the story of Count Rostov, a charming and witty "man of intent", who is confined to a fabulous hotel in Moscow for all his days. But that doesn't stop the count from living a sumptuous and meaningful life and he, in turn, ... Read more

Horse

A Novel

By: Geraldine Brooks
Narrated by: James Fouhey, Lisa Flanagan, Graham Halstead, Katherine Littrell & Michael Obiora
Length: 14 hours 5 minutes

“This book centers on Lexington, often considered the greatest horse in history. But this book is much more than the story of a horse. Brooks writes of slavery, the Civil War, academia, art and publishing, love and loyalty, and racism in history and today. I loved the bond between Jarret, an enslaved boy, and Lexington. I will be thinking of this... Read more

The Paris Novel

By: Ruth Reichl
Narrated by: Kiiri Sandy
Length: 9 hours 25 minutes

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A “mouthwatering” (The New York Times) adventure through the food, art, and fashion scenes of 1980s Paris—from the bestselling author of Save Me the Plums and Delicious!

“An enchanting and irresistible feast . . . As with a perfect meal in the world’s most magical city, I never wanted this sublime novel to... Read more

The Honey Witch

By: Sydney J. Shields
Narrated by: Mia Hutchinson Shaw
Length: 13 hours 1 minute

The Honey Witch of Innisfree can never find true love. That is her curse to bear. But when a young woman who doesn’t believe in magic arrives on her island, sparks fly in this deliciously sweet debut novel of magic, hope, and love overcoming all.
 
Twenty-one-year-old Marigold Claude has always preferred the company of the spirits of the meadow... Read more

Romancing Mister Bridgerton

Bridgertons: Book #4

By: Julia Quinn
Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
Length: 13 hours 17 minutes

New York Times BestsellerA special TV Tie-In edition to BRIDGERTON, a series created by Shondaland for Netflix, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn: the story of Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington, in the fourth of her beloved Regency-set novels featuring her charming, powerful Bridgerton family.COLIN AND PENELOPE’S... Read more

The Song of Achilles

A Novel

By: Madeline Miller
Narrated by: Frazer Douglas
Length: 11 hours 14 minutes

“This is one of the best books I've ever read. Do your heart a favor and read this beautiful, tender, heartbreaking book. Read more

The Four Winds

A Novel

By: Kristin Hannah
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
Length: 15 hours 20 minutes

“This is one of the best books I’ve listened to in a long time. The historical time period is the backdrop to an outstanding story about the evolution of a woman. The character development is incredibly heartfelt and the words that flow through each narration are beautifully expressed. This book, and the main character Elsa, has stayed with me... Read more

Hamnet

By: Maggie O'Farrell
Narrated by: Ell Potter
Length: 12 hours 42 minutes

“I loved Hamnet in very much the same way I loved Lincoln in the Bardo. This novel explores the way the dead haunt the living—especially how the death of a child haunts their parents—and does it in the context of a fascinating historical figure and time. But we know so much about the Lincolns, and so little about the Shakespeares. Maggie... Read more

Night Watch (Pulitzer Prize Winner)

A novel

By: Jayne Anne Phillips
Narrated by: Karissa Vacker, Theo T. Stockman & Maggi-Meg Reed
Length: 10 hours 12 minutes

PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD IN FICTION • A NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • From one of our most accomplished novelists, a mesmerizing story about a mother and daughter seeking refuge in the chaotic aftermath of the Civil War—and a brilliant portrait of family endurance against all odds

"A tour de force."... Read more

The Vaster Wilds

A Novel

By: Lauren Groff
Narrated by: January LaVoy
Length: 7 hours 5 minutes

“This thrilling survival story of a girl fleeing a 17th century Virginia colony again demonstrates that Lauren Groff is a literary force of nature. As the girl fights to survive in an unknown, dangerous, yet beautiful wilderness, we learn of the girl’s life in Elizabethan England, and the patriarchy of the colony. Highly recommended! Read more

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen

The Doomsday Books: Book #1

By: KJ Charles
Narrated by: Martyn Swain
Length: 11 hours 16 minutes

Abandoned by his father, Gareth Inglis grew up lonely, prickly, and used to disappointment. Still, he longs for a connection. When he meets a charming stranger, he falls head over heels?until everything goes wrong and he's left alone again. Then Gareth's father dies, turning the shabby London clerk into Sir Gareth, with a grand house on the... Read more

The Postcard

By: Anne Berest
Narrated by: Barrie Kealoha
Length: 13 hours 5 minutes

“A powerful personal account of a family’s history over multiple generations with a stunning ending that resolves the mystery of the postcard’s sender! The author launches her family research and investigation of who could have written the anonymous, unsigned postcard a decade earlier when her daughter experiences an anti-semitic incident at... Read more

The City of Brass

A Novel

By: S. A. Chakraborty
Narrated by: Soneela Nankani
Length: 20 hours 1 minute

“S.A. Chakraborty introduces a fantasy set in the Middle East that thrusts us into the magical world of Daevabad. The City of Brass follows, in parallel, Nahri, a con artist and naturally gifted healer, and Ali, prince of Daevabad and fiercely trained soldier. Nahri and Ali find themselves learning new lessons on how to survive changing... Read more

You Should Be So Lucky

A Novel

By: Cat Sebastian
Narrated by: Joel Leslie
Length: 11 hours 58 minutes

An emotional, slow-burn, grumpy/sunshine, queer mid-century romance for fans of Evvie Drake Starts Over, about grief and found family, between the new star shortstop stuck in a batting slump and the reporter assigned to (reluctantly) cover his first season—set in the same universe as We Could Be So Good.The 1960 baseball season is shaping up to... Read more

Brooklyn

A Novel

By: Colm Toibin
Narrated by: Kirsten Potter
Length: 7 hours 38 minutes

Colm Tóibín’s New York Times bestselling novel—also an acclaimed film starring Saoirse Ronan and Jim Broadbent nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Picture—is “a moving, deeply satisfying read” (Entertainment Weekly) about a young Irish immigrant in Brooklyn in the early 1950s.

“One of the most unforgettable characters in contemporary... Read more

The Fraud

A Novel

By: Zadie Smith
Narrated by: Zadie Smith
Length: 12 hours 24 minutes

“Hearing Zadie Smith narrate The Fraud only enhances the experience of this already great novel. The characters are unique and easily distinguishable, and her considerable skill with accents is astounding. A thoroughly unique and enjoyable experience, just like everything Smith writes. Listen, and let her words transport you. You won't regret it. Read more

The Lincoln Highway

A Read with Jenna Pick (A Novel)

By: Amor Towles
Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini, Marin Ireland & Dion Graham
Length: 16 hours 38 minutes

“Loved, loved, LOVED listening to the new Amor Towles book. The story was wonderful, but the readers made it especially enjoyable. Read more

The Sicilian Inheritance

A Novel

By: Jo Piazza
Narrated by: Rachel F. Hirsch & Carlotta Brentan
Length: 11 hours 53 minutes

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

From bestselling author and award-winning journalist Jo Piazza, comes a transporting novel rooted in the author’s own family history about a long-awaited trip to Sicily, a disputed inheritance, and a family secret that some will kill to protect . . .

Sara Marsala barely knows who she is anymore after the failure of her business... Read more

The Marriage Portrait

A novel

By: Maggie O'Farrell
Narrated by: Genevieve Gaunt & Maggie O'Farrell
Length: 13 hours 21 minutes

“Readers who loved Hamnet will find in this novel the same luminous moments, the same perfectly curated details, that made O'Farrell's earlier novel so astonishing and memorable. This time, O'Farrell takes us into the mind of a young artist during the Renaissance, and seldom has a novel so brilliantly captured the terror of darkness, the intense... Read more

Cloud Cuckoo Land

A Novel

By: Anthony Doerr
Narrated by: Marin Ireland & Simon Jones
Length: 14 hours 51 minutes

“I loved this book so much. The intersection of the various stories surrounding a profound awareness of the importance of books was perfect. I also appreciated the weaving of the classic tale intertwined all throughout the book. Each character's story could have been a book all by themselves, but having them all together was brilliant. This is a... Read more

The Starless Sea

A Novel

By: Erin Morgenstern
Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman & Various
Length: 18 hours 36 minutes

“This really felt like a love letter to librarians, booksellers, and anyone else who dedicates their life to the cultivation of books and all the secrets they contain. As always, Erin Morgenstern has the preternatural ability to sweep me away into a world where none of my real-life concerns matter. Who cares about gas prices when there’s a war... Read more

The River We Remember

A Novel

By: William Kent Krueger
Narrated by: CJ Wilson
Length: 13 hours 33 minutes

“Krueger delivers a complex mystery that exposes the attitudes and pain of small town America. Read more

Lady Tan's Circle of Women

By: Lisa See
Narrated by: Jennifer Lim & Justin Chien
Length: 13 hours 15 minutes

“Another winner from Lisa See! This fictionalized version of Lady Tan, a real Chinese doctor from the 15th century, is a fascinating dive into a world I knew nothing about. Fans of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan will enjoy this one as well. Read more

The Personal Librarian

A GMA Book Club Pick (A Novel)

By: Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray
Narrated by: Robin Miles
Length: 12 hours 22 minutes

“I dearly loved this historical fiction based on the life of J.P. Morgan's personal librarian. My favorite combination of entertaining and educational! Read more

West with Giraffes

A Novel

By: Lynda Rutledge
Narrated by: Danny Campbell
Length: 10 hours 28 minutes

An emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America.“Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes…”Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the... Read more

A Marvellous Light

The Last Binding: Book #1

By: Freya Marske
Narrated by: David Thorpe
Length: 14 hours 30 minutes

“You know that feeling when you start a book and from the very beginning you find yourself thinking: “oh, we’re going to have FUN here.” That’s Freya Marke’s A Marvellous Light. Whip smart historical fantasy with one of the most unique and clever magic systems around. A centuries-old mystery threatening to unravel magical society and upset a... Read more

The Nightingale

A Novel

By: Kristin Hannah
Narrated by: Polly Stone
Length: 17 hours 37 minutes

A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK

A #1 New York Times bestseller, Wall Street Journal Best Book of the Year, and soon to be a major motion picture, this unforgettable novel of love and strength in the face of war has enthralled a generation.

With courage, grace, and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah captures the epic panorama of World War... Read more

The Poppy War

A Novel

The Poppy War

By: R. F. Kuang
Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
Length: 19 hours 27 minutes

“This book is pure rage. The Poppy War is full of violence, revenge, and ambition. It is cut throat in its brutality, but it never feels unjustified. The main character searches to rise above her station and eventually seeks revenge for the genocide of her people. The book asks us, what would we be willing to do to hurt those that have hurt us?... Read more

Don't Want You Like a Best Friend

A Novel

The Mischief & Matchmaking Series: Book #1

By: Emma R. Alban
Narrated by: Mary Jane Wells & Morag Sims
Length: 10 hours 47 minutes

“What a vibrant beginning to a new historical romance series! Full of intrigue, stolen kisses, and London drama, this sweet queer love story follows two women who dare to hope in a world not built for them. Read more

The Fox Wife

A Novel

By: Yangsze Choo
Narrated by: Yangsze Choo
Length: 14 hours 36 minutes

“Folklore, mystery, and romance result in a beguiling tale of foxes and humans. An aging detective with a talent for discerning the truth is hired to find the identity of a young woman found dead. His journey leads him in many unexpected directions and to meetings with a multitude of fascinating and sometimes quite mysterious people. Yangsze has... Read more

Let Us Descend

A Novel

By: Jesmyn Ward
Narrated by: Jesmyn Ward
Length: 8 hours 12 minutes

“This magical novel illustrates the cruelties of slavery and the indomitable spirit of its protagonist in a descent into the hell of a pre-Civil War Louisiana sugar cane plantation. Read more

The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club

A Novel

By: Helen Simonson
Narrated by: Fiona Hardingham & Helen Simonson
Length: 15 hours 20 minutes

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • “Historical fiction of the highest order . . . an absolute joy of a book, warm and romantic, and with so much to say about the lives of women in the years following World War I.”—Ann Napolitano, bestselling author of Hello Beautiful

A timeless comedy of manners—refreshing as a summer breeze and bracing as the British... Read more

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons

By: Kate Khavari
Narrated by: Jodie Harris
Length: 8 hours 11 minutes

London, 1923. Newly minted research assistant Saffron Everleigh is the first woman to hold the position at University College of London. When she attends a dinner party for the school, she expects to engage in conversations about the university's large expedition to the Amazon. What she doesn’t expect is for Mrs. Henry, one of the professors’... Read more

The Lost Apothecary

A Novel

By: Sarah Penner
Narrated by: Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony & Lauren Irwin
Length: 10 hours 17 minutes

“A wonderful melding of two timelines told by a trio of female voices. Each woman is standing at a crossroads; one is just becoming a woman, one is anticipating the end of her life, and one the end of her marriage. A small, blue apothecary bottle links the women and the timelines together. Penner skillfully guides us along the path each woman... Read more

Vampires of El Norte

By: Isabel Cañas
Narrated by: Jose Nateras & Krysta Gonzales
Length: 12 hours 1 minute

“Vampires of El Norte is a thrilling supernatural gothic Western set during the Mexican-American War that is a perfect follow-up to The Hacienda. It is just the perfect blend of adventure, horror, and romance to keep you turning the pages well after lights-out. Read more

Heartless Hunter

The Crimson Moth: Book #1

By: Kristen Ciccarelli
Narrated by: Grace Gray
Length: 12 hours 8 minutes

"A steamy game of cat and mouse between witch and witch-hunter, played out against a backdrop of opulence, secrets, and bloody history. I couldn't look away." - Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Champion of Fate

Enemies-to-lovers doesn't get more high stakes than a witch and a witch hunter falling in love in bestselling... Read more