This article was originally published on March 8, 2024. 

Happy International Women’s Day, readers! While we celebrate women all year round, today’s the day we kick things into high gear. To observe this special holiday, I compiled a list of some of the best historical fiction novels about real women in history. Read on to find your next favorite.

RELATED: Check out more articles about amazing women for International Women’s Day, here!

Carolina Built by Kianna Alexander

Josephine N. Leary strives to carve out a new life for herself and her family in Edenton, North Carolina, after leaving behind the plantation where she was born. Despite the challenges of marriage, motherhood, and familial obligations, Josephine pursues her dreams of becoming a successful businesswoman in real estate. As life’s demands intensify, however, balancing her aspirations with her responsibilities becomes increasingly difficult, testing her determination to build her legacy.

Carolina Built reimagines the life of a real historical figure after Emancipation in North Carolina and the legacy Josephine N. Leary left behind. Kianna Alexander’s novel is a celebration of Black women’s achievements and joy. It’s a slice-of-life story that will leave you wanting more.

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The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict

In December 1926, famed mystery author Agatha Christie vanished, sparking a massive manhunt in England. When she reappeared 11 days later claiming amnesia, questions lingered about the true nature of her disappearance. What really happened to one of the world’s most brilliant writers?

Through Marie Benedict’s compelling narrative, readers delve into the enigma of Agatha Christie‘s missing days. The Mystery of Mrs. Christie contemplates a real-life mystery through a historical fiction lens. While Benedict only speculates at what happened to her subject during the time she was missing, she draws on historical facts to spin a compelling narrative.

Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig

The cover of Deep As the Sky, Red As the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig

When another sailor kills her pirate husband, Shek Yeung knows she must act quickly. To save herself, she marries his second-in-command and promises to give him an heir in exchange for half the fleet. As she fights for control, the Chinese Empire vows to rid the seas of pirates. As Shek Yeung navigates motherhood alongside her new role, she must decide exactly what she’s willing to risk.

Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea unites mythology and history in a way pirate fans won’t want to miss. Shek Yeung AKA Zheng Yi Sao was a real pirate in the early 1800s, and Rita Chang-Eppig brings this historical woman to life in her novel.

RELATED: International Women’s Day: 7 Amazing Literary Female Warriors

Queen of Exiles by Vanessa Riley

After the brutal but successful Haitian Revolution, Marie-Louise Christophe became queen of the only free Black nation in the Western Hemisphere. Despite their newfound freedom, Haitians struggle under debt to France and indifference from their allies in Britain and the United States. When her husband dies by his own hand, Louise and her daughters flee to Europe. Once there, Louise navigates the European aristocracy while discovering her own strength and redefining her place in a male-dominated world.

Queen of Exiles shines a spotlight on the first Black queen in the Western Hemisphere. While it may be a work of historical fiction, novelist Vanessa Riley did her research and tells Marie-Louise Christophe’s story with grace and heart.

The Last Grand Duchess by Bryn Turnbull

Grand Duchess Olga Romanov is happy with the sheltered life her family leads amidst unrest in pre-revolutionary Russia. However, as war approaches and revolution looms, Olga and her sisters trade their privileged lives for nursing duties on the front lines, confronting the harsh realities of conflict and political upheaval. Amidst the turmoil, Olga finds solace in a budding romance, but as tensions escalate, the fate of the Romanov dynasty hangs in the balance.

The Romanov family is a source of fascination for many people, and Bryn Turnbull makes a masterful effort to shed light on their story. The Last Grand Duchess alternates between Olga’s life as Grand Duchess and her final months in a way that will keep readers hooked.

RELATED: Why International Women’s Day is Important

American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson

The cover of American Spy has an illustration of a Black woman on a yellow background. She has a red and black striped dress and a cloth with stars draped over her shoulder.

Marie Mitchell, a brilliant but overlooked Black intelligence agent, knows her career has stalled in the boys’ club that is the FBI. With the Cold War ongoing, she seizes the chance to join a covert task force targeting Thomas Sankara, the revolutionary president of Burkina Faso. Despite secretly admiring Sankara’s work, she observes him to seduce the president and ultimately bring about his downfall. As she navigates loyalty, identity, and betrayal, Marie confronts profound questions about her beliefs and allegiances as an American spy.

Combining a political spy novel with family drama and romance, American Spy is a fascinating story of the Cold War. Lauren Wilkinson’s historical fiction thriller is a slow burn, but it’s well worth the wait.

Which of these amazing women from history were familiar, and who was new to you? Let us know if you’ve read any good historical fiction lately, and check out all of our International Women’s Day coverage while you’re at it.

This article was originally published on March 7, 2024. 

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