Best New Historical Fiction - February 2025
The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Release Date: February 25, 2025
Synopsis:
Northern England, 2010. After a tragic accident upends her life, Kate Mercer leaves London to work at an old guest house near the Scottish border, where she hopes to find a fresh start and heal from her loss. When she arrives, she begins to unravel the truth about her past, but discovers that the mysterious elderly proprietor is harboring secrets of her own.
Berlin, 1938. Audrey James is weeks away from graduating from a prestigious music school in Berlin, where she’s been living with her best friend, Ilse Kaplan. As war looms, Ilse’s family disappears and high-ranking Nazi officers confiscate the house. In desperation, Audrey becomes their housekeeper while Ilse is forced into hiding in the attic. When a shocking turn of events embroils Audrey in the anti-Hitler movement, she must decide what matters most: protecting those she loves, or sacrificing everything for the greater good.
Inspired by true stories of courageous women and the German resistance during World War II, The Secret History of Audrey James is a captivating novel about the unbreakable bonds of friendship, the sacrifices we make for those we love, and the healing that comes from human connection.
Why We Recommend It!
A gripping journey of courage and friendship, The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall is recommended for its powerful portrayal of resilience and the enduring impact of sacrifice and survival across generations.
The Mountains Between Us by Imogen Martin
Publisher: Storm Publishing
Release Date: February 18, 2025
Synopsis:
California, 1848. She was warned not to go after him. That no woman could survive alone in gold rush California. That her missing husband was surely dead.
But Grace Randolph knows James isn’t just missing, he’s being held captive by one of the most powerful men in the territory. And her marriage – forged on the perilous Oregon trail, tested by her husband’s war service and the lawlessness of the gold fields – is worth fighting for.
As she saddles up her horse and frets over the plan a final time, she reminds herself she has shot a man before, survived the hardship of the trail, and rebuilt their life after a fire destroyed everything they had. She has never stopped loving her husband, even on those nights when he lay beside her, inches away but somehow unreachably distant.
Now she must cross mountains to rescue him – and save her marriage.
Why We Recommend It!
A breathtaking tale of courage and redemption, The Mountains Between Us by Imogen Martin is story steeped in historical with beautiful descriptions that follows Grace Randolph as she braves the perilous gold rush era to rescue her husband and save their marriage.
As Sure as the Sea by Jamie Ogle
Publisher: Tyndale Fiction
Release Date: February 11, 2025
Synopsis:
Once she denied everything she believed in. Now she’d give anything to choose differently. But in the shadow of the Roman Empire’s persecution and the shame of her past, she fears that what she wants most will be forever out of reach.
Eastern Roman Empire, AD 310. In the shadow of Emperor Diocletian’s anti-Christian edicts, Demitria makes a meager living harvesting coral and pearls for a merchant who turns a blind eye to her faith. By night, Demi goes upriver with her brother, Theseus, to obtain provisions for fellow believers in the port city of Myra. Though willing to risk her own life to ensure others are safe and fed, Demi lives with a desperate fear for those she loves and carries secret shame over her greatest failure. When Theseus is injured in a diving accident, all seems lost, until a stranger named Nikolas appears on the beach and offers help.
Arriving in a sinking boat, Nikolas is burdened by guilt over his older brother’s tragic death. Though the wealth he inherited from a prosperous shipping business now rests at the bottom of the sea, as the new pastor in Myra, he is determined to recover it and use it for good. As the violence against Christians increases, Demi helps Nikolas retrieve his lost fortune and distribute it to those in dire need.
Though she wonders if she can ever be worthy, Demi is drawn to Nikolas and longs to trust in his belief that freedom can be found in forgiveness. Then one terrifying night, everything changes as the Roman Empire’s fury rains down. Demi has no other choice but to decide if she has the courage to do what she once failed to . . . and if the faith she calls her own is sure enough to carry her.
Why We Recommend It!
A captivating tale of faith and redemption, As Sure as the Sea by Jamie Ogle is a vivid, heart-wrenching story that follows Demitria as she navigates the perilous waters of the Eastern Roman Empire, risking everything to protect her loved ones and rediscover her own strength.
Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Release Date: February 4, 2025
Synopsis:
A young girl must face a life-altering decision after awakening her sister’s ghost, navigating truths about love, friendship, and power as the Civil War looms.
Sixteen years old and enslaved since she was born, Junie has spent her life on Bellereine Plantation in Alabama, cooking and cleaning alongside her family, and tending to the white master’s daughter, Violet. Her daydreams are filled with poetry and faraway worlds, while she spends her nights secretly roaming through the forest, consumed with grief over the sudden death of her older sister, Minnie.
When wealthy guests arrive from New Orleans, hinting at marriage for Violet and upending Junie’s life, she commits a desperate act—one that rouses Minnie’s spirit from the grave, tethered to this world unless Junie can free her. She enlists the aid of Caleb, the guests’ coachman, and their friendship soon becomes something more. Yet as long-held truths begin to crumble, she realizes Bellereine is harboring dark and horrifying secrets that can no longer be ignored.
With time ticking down, Junie begins to push against the harsh current that has controlled her entire life. As she grapples with an increasingly unfamiliar world in which she has little control, she is forced to ask herself: When we choose love and liberation, what must we leave behind?
Why We Recommend It!
A haunting and immersive tale of resilience and power, Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine captivates with its exploration of love and friendship, set against the backdrop of the Civil War, where a young girl's journey reveals the strength found in facing life's darkest secrets.
Let Us March On by Shara Moon
Publisher: William Morrow
Release Date: February 4, 2025
Synopsis:
Devoted wife, White House maid, reluctant activist…
A stirring novel inspired by the life of an unsung heroine, and real-life crusader, Lizzie McDuffie, who as a maid in FDR’s White House spearheaded the Civil Rights movement of her time.
I’m just a college-educated Southerner with a passion for books. My husband says I’m too bold, too sharp, too unrelenting. Others say I helped spearhead the Civil Rights movement of our time. President Roosevelt says I’m too spunky and spirited for my own good.
Who am I?
I am Elizabeth “Lizzie” McDuffie.
And this is my story…
When Lizzie McDuffie, maid to Eleanor and Franklin D. Roosevelt, boldly proclaimed herself FDR’s “Secretary-On-Colored-People’s-Affairs,” she became more than just a maid—she became the President’s eyes and ears into the Black community. After joining the White House to work alongside her husband, FDR’s personal valet, Lizzie managed to become completely indispensable to the Roosevelt family. Never shy about pointing out injustices, she advocated for the needs and rights of her fellow African Americans when those in the White House blocked access to the President.
Following the life of Lizzie McDuffie throughout her time in the White House as she championed the rights of everyday Americans and provided access to the most powerful man in the country, Let Us March On looks at the unsung and courageous crusader who is finally getting the recognition she so richly deserves.
Why We Recommend It!
A compelling journey of courage and advocacy, Let Us March On by Shara Moon offers an inspiring portrayal of Lizzie McDuffie's transformation from White House maid to a pivotal figure in the Civil Rights movement.
