Best New Historical Fiction - January 2025
What the Silent Say by Emerson Ford
Publisher: Storm Publishing
Release Date: January 29, 2025
Synopsis:
Inspired by a remarkable true story and brought to life in cinematic detail, an unforgettable tale of courage, sacrifice, and the unbreakable bonds of family.
Florence, South Carolina 1944: Lieutenant Raymond Sellers bids farewell to his brother Jimmie, the weight of what lies ahead hanging heavy in the air. The brothers have always been inseparable—Raymond, the steady protector, Jimmie, the wild-hearted dreamer. But as Raymond embraces his pregnant wife Evelyn one last time, war is about to test the bonds of family in ways they never imagined.
As a summer storm shakes the windows, Evelyn brings her baby into a world at war. Across the vast Pacific theater, Raymond leads his men through brutal combat while Jimmie fights in the skies. One battle forces Raymond to choose between the family he promised to protect and the brothers he swore to never leave behind.
Eighteen years later, a daughter finds a cache of letters in her father's desk and is shocked to find that some acts of courage echo across generations.
Why We Recommend It!
An unforgettable tale of courage and sacrifice, What the Silent Say by Emerson Ford vividly captures the unbreakable bonds of family tested by war, echoing across generations.
The Indigo Heiress by Laura Frantz
Publisher: Revell
Release Date: January 21, 2025
Synopsis:
In 1774, Juliet Catesby lives with her father and sister at Royal Vale, the James River plantation founded by her Virginia family over a century before. Indigo cultivation is her foremost concern, though its export tethers her family to the powerful Buchanan clan of Glasgow, Scotland. When the heir of the Buchanan firm arrives on their shores, Juliet discovers that her father has secretly arranged for one of his daughters to marry the Scot as a means of canceling the family's debt. Confident it will be her younger, lovelier sister, Juliet is appalled when Leith Buchanan selects her instead.
Despite her initial refusal of him, an ensuing altercation forces Juliet to flee Virginia. Agreeing to marry, she sails with Leith to Scotland, hopeful of a better match for her sister, who accompanies her. But once in Glasgow and faced with the contentious, powerful Buchanan clan, she realizes that the man who saved her from financial ruin and scandal is the very one she must now save in return.
Why We Recommend It!
A richly woven tale of liberty and love, The Indigo Heiress by Laura Frantz follows Juliet Catesby as she navigates unexpected alliances and personal stakes amidst the backdrop of the American Revolution.
The Queen’s Spade by Sarah Raughley
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: January 14, 2025
Synopsis:
A young lady can take only so many injuries before humiliation and insult forge a vow of revenge . . .
The year is 1862 and murderous desires are simmering in England. Nineteen-year-old Sarah Bonetta Forbes (Sally), once a princess of the Egbado Clan, desires one thing above all revenge against the British Crown and its system of colonial ‘humanitarianism,’ which stole her dignity and transformed her into royal property. From military men to political leaders, she’s vowed to ruin all who’ve had a hand in her afflictions. The top of her list? Her godmother, Britain’s mighty monarch, Queen Victoria herself.
Taking down the Crown means entering into a twisted game of court politics and manipulating the Queen’s inner circle—even if that means aligning with a dangerous yet alluring crime lord in London’s underworld and exploiting the affections of Queen Victoria’s own son, Prince Albert, as a means to an end. But when Queen Victoria begins to suspect Sally’s true intentions, she plays the only card in Victorian society that could possibly cage Sally once marriage. Because if there’s one thing Sally desires more than revenge, it’s her freedom. With time running out and her wedding day looming, Sally’s vengeful game of cat and mouse turns deadly as she’s faced with the striking revelation that the price for vengeance isn’t just paid in blood. It means sacrificing your heart.
Why We Recommend It!
A gripping tale of revenge and resilience, The Queen's Spade by Sarah Raughley follows Sally, a kidnapped African princess, as she navigates Victorian England's royal court to dismantle the monarchy that stole her freedom.
The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis
Publisher: Dutton
Release Date: January 7, 2025
Synopsis:
Egypt, 1936: When anthropology student Charlotte Cross is offered a coveted spot on an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, she leaps at the opportunity. But after an unbearable tragedy strikes, Charlotte knows her future will never be the same.
New York City, 1978: Eighteen-year-old Annie Jenkins is thrilled when she lands an opportunity to work for iconic former Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who’s in the midst of organizing the famous Met Gala, hosted at the museum and known across the city as the “party of the year.” Though Annie soon realizes she’ll have her work cut out for her, scrambling to meet Diana’s capricious demands and exacting standards.
Meanwhile, Charlotte, now leading a quiet life as the associate curator of the Met’s celebrated Department of Egyptian Art, wants little to do with the upcoming gala. She’s consumed with her research on Hathorkare—a rare female pharaoh dismissed by most other Egyptologists as unimportant.
That is, until the night of the gala. When one of the Egyptian art collection’s most valuable artifacts goes missing . . . and there are signs Hathorkare’s legendary curse might be reawakening.
As Annie and Charlotte team up to search for the missing antiquity, a desperate hunch leads the unlikely duo to one place Charlotte swore she’d never return: Egypt. But if they’re to have any hope of finding the artifact, Charlotte will need to confront the demons of her past—which may mean leading them both directly into danger.
Why We Recommend It!
An enthralling journey of mystery and history, The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis weaves together the lives of two women across decades as they unravel secrets from New York to Egypt, confronting curses and personal demons along the way.
Homeseeking by Karissa Chen
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Release Date: January 7, 2025
Synopsis:
Haiwen and Suchi are teenage sweethearts in 1940s Shanghai. Their childhood friendship has blossomed into young love, and they believe they are soulmates. But when Haiwen secretly decides to enlist in the army to keep his brother from the draft, their shared future is shattered. Their paths take them far from each other, with the exception of one pivotal chance encounter on the Hong Kong ferry in 1966.
Sixty years later, Haiwen, now in his late seventies, is bagging bananas at a 99 Ranch in Los Angeles when he lifts his head and sees Suchi. As they rekindle their friendship, it feels like they might have a second chance to live the life they were supposed to have together. But the weight of the past lives with them at every moment, and only time will tell if they are able to forge something new.
Why We Recommend It!
A sweeping tale of love and resilience, Homeseeking by Karissa Chen follows Haiwen and Suchi across six decades and continents, exploring the enduring bonds of the Chinese diaspora as they seek home and each other amidst the tides of history.
