Five Happy Things
Books for Time Travelers
I LOVE historical fiction, so this week I’m sharing five favorite novels that will take you back in time.
(Mostly) not mysteries! And not about British royalty.
Those get their own categories. 😁
Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel - We’re going way back in time for this one. Prehistoric! This has been one of my favorite books since I read it in high school, and it’s still one I go back to occasionally as a comfort read. When I took Anthropology in college I was delighted to recognize exactly which sites and finds inspired some of my favorite characters. (Bookshop link, Amazon link)
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - This book was such a departure for Ken Follett when it came out. He was known as a terrific thriller writer, and then he came out with this huge brick of a book about the construction of a Gothic cathedral in the twelfth century. I happen to be a fan of big, chunky historical novels—in addition to taut thrillers—so I read it, and it was amazing. (Bookshop link, Amazon link)
Bonus! Follett’s book is mostly about the people involved in building the cathedral. If you want more nuts and bolts (and equally fascinating) info about the construction itself, check out Cathedral by David Macauley. It’s brilliant! (Bookshop link, Amazon link)
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco - Okay, I know I said not mysteries, and here I’m including a mystery. But what a mystery! This absolute labyrinth of a book is set in the 14th century and features a very clever monk investigating a series of bizarre deaths in his Italian monastery. I’m not going to lie. This one is a challenging read, but I found it 100% worth it. (Bookshop link, Amazon link)
Shogun by James Clavell - Another giant brick of a book! Set in the early 17th century in Japan, this tells the story of a shipwrecked English sailor who becomes involved in some of the most interesting events in Japanese history. Please note these links go to volume one. You need to read book two for the whole story. I can’t believe this was published as a single book in the the 70s. It was about a kajillion pages, and I devoured them when I was in high school. (Bookshop link, Amazon link)
If you’d rather watch than read, I also loved both the original miniseries with Richard Chamberlain and the new one on FX.
Chesapeake by James Michener - This is the story of one tiny bit of land on the Chesapeake Bay, and the many people who inhabited it over the course of four centuries. Yes, this is another brick of a book, but it’s a really fascinating way to look at American history. (Bookshop link, Amazon link)
I’m realizing now that these are all monstrously long books. If you’re in the mood for that, then yay! If you need something a little more…brisk, then take a look at this list of novellas. 🥰
What are your favorite historical novels? Tell us in the comments!
You can find past newsletters with book recommendations here.
Enjoy!
Best,
Wendi
❤️
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Pillars of the Earth was one of my mother's favorite books, and she introduced it to me. I also now love it, and it's due for a(nother) re-read. Follett has also written a couple of sequels to the story, taking place in the same region and telling what happened to the characters' descendants.
James Michener is always good, but the first 200 pages or so in each book are a bit of a slog. Totally worth it in the end, though.
I got into Herman Wouk in 1983 after the mini-series of The Winds of War, and then took a deep dive into all of his books. I totally loved Marjorie Morningstar and Youngblood Hawke, though the second one was terribly miscast in the movie (love Suzanne Pleshette and James Franciscus, but here -- NO).
Loved Shogun and the rest of the books in the series. Also loved Pillars of the Earth.
The Winds of War and War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk were great too. I will try Clan of the Cave Bear. Thanks for tweaking my memory.