Popular North American Historical Fiction Books
Find historical fiction books written by authors from North America for the next part of the Read Around The World Challenge. (122)
1.
47 Ronin by John Allyn EN
Country: North America / 
United States of America
United States of America
Description:
Japan's most celebrated tale of honor, loyalty, and revenge—and the basis for the 2013 Hollywood feature film, starring Keanu Reeves—47 Ronin is the epic tale of a heroic band of Samurai warriors who defied the Japanese Emperor and avenged the honor of their fallen master. The story begins in 1701 when the noble Lord Asano attacks an official at court in a fit of anger. His punishment is swift and harsh; the Emperor orders Lord Asano to commit ritual suicide (harakiri). His lands are confiscated, his family is exiled, and his Samurai warriors are ordered to disband—becoming Ronin or masterless... continue
2.
Absolution : A Novel by Alice McDermott EN
Country: North America / United States of America
United States of America
Description:
A riveting account of women’s lives on the margins of the Vietnam War, from the renowned winner of the National Book Award. You have no idea what it was like. For us. The women, I mean. The wives. American women—American wives—have been mostly minor characters in the literature of the Vietnam War, but in Absolution they take center stage. Tricia is a shy newlywed, married to a rising attorney on loan to navy intelligence. Charlene is a practiced corporate spouse and mother of three, a beauty and a bully. In Saigon in 1963, the two women form a wary alliance as they balance the era’s mandate to... continue
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Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery EN
Country: North America / 
Canada
Canada
Description:
An abridged version of the tale of Anne, an eleven-year-old orphan, who comes to live on a Prince Edward Island farm and proceeds to make an indelible impression on everyone around her.
6.
Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid EN
Country: North America / 
Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda
Description:
An adored only child, Annie has until recently lived a peaceful and content life. She is inseparable from her beautiful mother, a powerful and influential presence, who sits at the very centre of the little girl's existence. Loved and cherished, Annie grows and thrives within her mother's shadow. When she turns twelve, however, Annie's life changes, in ways that are often mysterious to her. She begins to question the cultural assumptions of her island world; at school she makes rebellious friends and frequently challenges authority; and most frighteningly, her mother, seeing Annie as a 'young ... continue
7.
Ashes of Izalco by Claribel Alegra, Darwin J. Flakoll EN
Country: North America / 
Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Description:
A novel that blends politics, history and romance with unfailing gentleness, unforeseeable, explosive events determine the actions of the characters but never interrupt the work's lyrical structure. Carmen Rojas, the heroine, was a child when, in 1932, she witnessed the brutality of the El Salvadoran National Guard, who murdered 30,000 rioting peasants. The tragedy shapes her political consciousness, and, although she marries an American and lives in Washington, D.C., she cannot escape its memory. Thirty years later, she returns home to attend her mother's funeral and to care for her sickly fa... continue
8.
Augustown : A Novel by Kei Miller EN
Country: North America / 
Jamaica
Jamaica
Description:
PEN OPEN BOOK AWARD FINALIST ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Slate • Publishers Weekly • Kirkus Reviews • Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Ma Taffy may be blind but she sees everything. So when her great-nephew Kaia comes home from school in tears, what she senses sends a deep fear running through her. A teacher has cut off Kaia’s dreadlocks—a violation of the family’s Rastafari beliefs—and this single impulsive action will have ramifications that stretch throughout the entire community. Kaia’s story brings back memories from Ma Taffy’s youth, including the legend of the flying preacherman and hi... continue
9.
Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez EN
Country: North America / United States of America
United States of America
Description:
In the early 1960s in the Dominican Republic, twelve-year-old Anita learns that her family is involved in the underground movement to end the bloody rule of the dictator, General Trujillo.
10.
Country: North America / 
Belize
Belize
Description:
Subtle yet rich descriptions of culture, society, and family life in Belize adorn Zee Edgell’s beautifully narrated story of a short time in the life of 14-year-old Beka Lamb. Through flashbacks, points on politics and independence are animated, since the political struggles for independence in Belize reflect Beka’s own developing maturity and need to assert herself. Two main features of this heartwarming story are Beka’s penchant for lying and her relationship with her older friend Troycie, whose troubling choices lead her down a self-destructive path. The pride of winning an essay contest at... continue