When you want historical fiction that isn’t going to traumatize you . . . this is your book list!
If you are looking for historical fiction books that are free from heavier topics, pop in your email address below and I’ll send the printable list right to your inbox!
Over the summer, I got this message from a reader, “Ok I’m looking for a book for my sister: historical fiction set in an interesting time/place (no WW2) that is NOT super traumatic. Any Ideas? All my favorites have characters who are abuse or killed off or who face one devastating circumstance after another!”
And boy, do we all know what she means (ahem, we’ve all been scarred by one too many Kristin Hannah books. And I say this as someone who loves a good Kristin Hannah book!).
I asked for recommendations for non-traumatic historical fiction and recommendations came rolling in (although some people didn’t seem to really understand “not traumatic” – I can’t tell you how many books I had to cut from this list!).
And, as always, everyone’s idea of devastating and traumatic are different, so if if you want to be sure the content of a book won’t trigger you, definitely check out the content warnings on The StoryGraph!
Historical Fiction Books That Won’t Traumatize You
The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young
This book was so buzzy last year and made the 2025 Everyday Reading Book Club List (I loved it!). This story follows June Farrow, a woman in her mid-thirties, living in the small town of Jasper, running her family flower farm. Her life isn’t ordinary though. All of the Farrow women in her bloodline have been known to go mad as they age and June has been holding her breath her entire life knowing it would happen. As she starts to hear and see things that aren’t really there, she starts digging into her mother’s past to try and find answers.
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
This one sounds completely unlike anything else on the list! Chava is a golem made of clay, Ahmad is a jinni trapped in a copper flask, and somehow in turn-of-the-century immigrant New York, these two supernatural strangers become soulmates. Equal parts historical fiction, magical fable, and Yiddish and Middle Eastern folklore.
The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory (Tudor Series)
Jacquetta marries into power, falls in love with her husband’s squire after becoming a widow, and ends up navigating the treacherous politics of the War of the Roses – all while raising a daughter destined for the throne of England. If you are into the Tudor time period, this one sounds like a great series!
Becoming Madam Secretary by Stephanie Dray
This sounds like the perfect mix of politics, ambition, and history for anyone who loves a good “real woman behind the scenes” story. Frances Perkins in New York determined to make a difference, falls in with the Greenwich Village social circle, and eventually forms a decades-long partnership with a man she initially can’t stand…Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Their partnership, in turn, carries them both through the Great Depression and into the White House.
Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower
When Emma M. Lion returns home to her London neighborhood, she only has one thing on her mind – take back possession of her rightful home from her cousin Archibald. You better believe Archibald isn’t going anywhere without a fight. In true Emma M. Lion fashion, she chronicles the ins and outs of her increasingly hilarious and frustrating life. I am completely OBSESSED with this series!
A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon
I have been so impressed and have truly loved the two Amy Harmon books I have read (What the Wind Knows and The Outlaw Noble Salt). This one is based on a real-life young woman who dressed as a man in order to fight in the American Revolution.
When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer
In this time travel book, Libby is given the gift to go to sleep in one time period, and wake up in another time period without any time having passed. She splits her time between 1774 Colonial Williamsburg and the other in 1914 Gilded Age New York City. She lives a very different life in each, but there comes a time when she must make a very important decision about which time period she will stay in forever. (This book is part of the Timeless series – which came up again and again as a great option!)
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
Set in early 20th-century New York, this novel follows Belle da Costa Greene, the personal librarian to J. P. Morgan, who becomes a powerful force in the art and book world while curating one of the most important collections in the country. Behind her success, Belle is carrying a dangerous secret – she is a Black woman passing as white in a society where everything depends on her ability to stay hidden.
A Proper Scandal by Esther Hatch
Grace is an orphan and had been living with the vicar and his wife after the death of her parents. When Grace finds herself in London, living with her aunt, she discovers she will have to be quick on her feet as well as secure a marriage quickly if she wants to remain safe. This one has a sequel too if you end up loving it.
The English Masterpiece by Katherine Reay
I loved Katherine Reay’s The Berlin Letters, so this one is already on my list! Set in the art world of 1970s London, Lily is living her dream working on a world-class Picasso exhibit at the Tate, until the day she blurts out in front of a crowd that one of the paintings is a forgery. Suddenly her career (and her mentor’s) is on the line.
Love and Saffron by Kim Fay
This epistolary novel (all written in letters) is set in the 1960s about two women who connect over a shared interest in cooking. They become fast friends after exchanging letters about food, troubles, and triumphs in their personal lives.
Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner
Susan Meissner does fantastic historical fiction and I’ve loved all her books I’ve read. This one about Rosanne, a young woman institutionalized and silenced in 1930s California, and Helen, an American in Nazi-occupied Europe fighting to save lives, shares how they are bound in a way they would have never expected.
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
This was the first book I finished in 2024 and it started out with an absolute bang! I highly recommend the audiobook because Meryl Streep is the narrator and it was phenomenal, to no one’s surprise. This one is full of fabulous family relationships and a lovely marriage. I loved every minute of it.
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
Nineteen-year-old Vivian gets kicked out of college and shipped off to live with her colorful aunt, who owns a rundown Manhattan theater. From there, Vivian falls headfirst into a world of showgirls and scandal. This one is told from the perspective of Vivian looking back at age 89 – and it sounds truly glamorous!
The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow
I have heard other people rave about this one! It tells Mary’s story, beginning during the events of Pride and Prejudice and carrying on into later years. It’s one of those that you find yourself relating to and rooting for Mary – hoping she will find her own happy ending. (Has anyone seen the tv series adaptation!?)
Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz
Set in Edinburgh, Hazel wants to be a surgeon more than she wants to marry, but women aren’t allowed in medical lectures. So she ends up striking a deal, and that means she needs corpses to study. This one has the makings of a historical fiction with edge, it sounds gothic, mysterious, and a little macabre.
Amy Snow by Tracy Rees
When her best friend Aurelia dies, Amy is banished from the only home she’s known. Aurelia left here a treasure hunt across Victorian England, along with one secret she never got to share.
What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon
This was a 2022 Everyday Reading Book Club book and it’s definitely one of the most popular books I’ve ever done in book club – I got a FLOOD of messages from people who were absolutely obsessed with this time travel book about a woman from America raised by her Irish grandfather who, after his death, returns to Ireland to spread his ashes and finds herself back nearly a hundred years earlier, meeting her grandfather who is a little boy. This one is full of history and romance and read by two terrific narrators, who really bring it to life. The first couple of chapters are a bit slow, so be willing to be a little patient – it’s worth it! (Full review here)
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
A Mi’kmaq girl vanishes from a Maine blueberry field in 1962, and the mystery refuses to stay buried. Decades later, a young woman is haunted by dreams that starts pulling at the threads her parents wished she’d leave alone…and what she unravels will change everything.
Carnegie’s Maid by Marie Benedict
A 19th century historical romance novel, this book tells the story of Andrew Carnegie from the perspective of Clara Kelley, an Irish maid hired to work in one of Pittsburgh’s grandest households. So many people mentioned this as one of their favorite books of the year and I haven’t read any Marie Benedict books, so I’m excited to give this one a spin!
Where the Rivers Merge by Mary Alice Monroe
Told across two timelines (1908 and 1988) this one follows Eliza, a free-spirited young woman fighting to hold onto her family’s South Carolina’s estate against the pull of tradition and time.
A Map to Paradise by Susan Meissner
Susan Meissner does fantastic historical fiction, and I’ve loved every one of her books I’ve read. When blacklisted starlet Melanie’s quiet life on Paradise Circle gets upended after her neighbor mysteriously vanishes, she and her housekeeper start uncovering secrets none of them expected!
Isola by Allegra Goodman
Marguerite goes from a life of privilege to being marooned on an island after being falsely accused of betrayal. This historical fiction was inspired by a real 16th century woman.
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
This one is set in 1922 Russia and tells the story of Count Alexander Rostov, who is sentenced to house arrest in the upscale Metropol hotel. In the ensuing decades, he discovers deep friendships and a life of purpose despite his circumstances. Such a lovely story and the audio is fantastic.
These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner
I read this book YEARS ago after my mom raved about it and sent me a copy. She wasn’t wrong – this historical romance is written in diary form (a format I generally don’t care for but works wonderfully here) and follows Sarah Prine and her family in the Arizona Territories where pretty much every bad thing you can imagine happens until they join up with a wagon train. The leader of the wagon train is Captain Elliot and Sarah by turns admires him and despises him. Of course she does. I LOVED this book. (Full review here)
The Women on Platform Two by Laura Anthony
I love historical fiction that opens a window into stories I don’t know, and this one is inspired by a little-known true story. Set across Dublin in 1969 and 2023, it follows Maura, trapped in a controlling and violent marriage, Bernie, whose future pregnancies could be life-threatening, and Saoirse, who realizes she may never want children – all connected by the brave women who paved the way for reproductive choice.
Flashlight by Susan Choi
This one has racked up an impressive list of awards, so it’s clearly doing something right! Spanning decades and continents – from postwar Japan and North Korea to present day – it follows ten-year-old Louisa and her mother as they try to piece together what really happened the night her father vanished on a beach walk.
The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis
Set roughly fifty years apart (in 1928 and 1974) inside the lost art school within Grand Central Terminal, it follows two women chasing their own version of success in a world set against them, and a mystery that connects them across decades. Her other book The Stolen Queen also came highly recommended.
The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
Fair warning, this one is LONG, but it’s been one of the buzziest historical fiction titles out there. It follows an orphaned girl and two women running out of options in Depression-era Oxford, Mississippi. Their lives collide in a story that is funny, moving, and full of quiet defiance.
Miss Kopp Series by Amy Stewart
Based on a true story, this one follows Constance Kopp, who in 1914 becomes one of the nation’s first female deputy sheriffs after a run-in with a powerful factory owner spirals into a full-blown family feud. Constance doesn’t fit the mold of a “proper” woman of her era, and that’s exactly what makes her story so much fun!
House of Oaks Series by Nichole Van
If you like historical fiction with a time travel twist, this series might be a fun option! Emme, living in 2012, becomes obsessed with the portrait of a mystery man in an old locket. All the while, back in 1812, James Knight finds a half-drowned woman under a tree on his estate…sounds like the kind of swoony, adventurous read that keeps you guessing how the two timelines will finally meet.
Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Mara is a well-educated, resourceful slave girl in ancient Egypt under the rule of Queen Hatshepsut. To try and gain her freedom, she agrees to spy for two rival enemies, each backing a different contender to the throne. Naturally, she ends up falling for one of the men she’s supposed to be spying on, which makes for a fun mix of espionage, romance, and palace intrigue.
The Girl in His Shadow by Audrey Blake
Set in London in 1845, this one follows Nora Beady, a surgeon’s secret assistant who’s more skilled than the men around her but has to hide it to survive in a world that won’t let women practice medicine. When a new surgical resident arrives with no idea who she really is, Nora has to decide how much longer she’s willing to stay invisible.
The All-American by Susie Finkbeiner
It’s 1952, and sixteen-year-old Bertha Harding dreams of playing professional baseball instead of settling down like the other girls her age – until her father is accused of being a Communist and her family’s whole life falls apart. When she gets a shot at trying out for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, it becomes a story about chasing your dreams even when the world tries to knock you down.
And if you’d like a printable copy of this list that you can take to your library or screenshot on your phone for easy access, just pop in your email address below and it’ll come right to your inbox!
