Popular European Historical Fiction Books
Find historical fiction books written by authors from Europe for the next part of the Read Around The World Challenge. (413)
211.
Napoleon's Beekeeper by José Luis de Juan EN
SpainDescription:
Winner of the prestigious ‘Premio Novela Breve Juan March Cencillo’ May 1814. On the island of Elba, the beekeeper Andrea Pasolini awaits the arrival of the defeated, exiled emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte. Pasolini is a self-taught disciple of the Enlightenment, whose first love is reading books on philosophy and apiculture – a secret, illicit activity he undertakes in his cellar at night. The defeated emperor is likewise fascinated, with the swarming of bees and the beauty of honey. From a distance, an obsessive interest develops between the two men, as anticipation builds around a visit by the ... continue
212.
Nine Lessons by Nicola Upson EN
Country: Europe / 
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Description:
Chosen by Publishers Weekly as one of the Best Books of 2017 Josephine Tey is in Cambridge, a town gripped by fear and suspicion as a serial rapist stalks the streets, and in the shadow of King's College Chapel, Detective Chief Inspector Archie Penrose faces some of the most horrific and audacious murders of his career. The seventh novel in Nicola Upson's highly praised series featuring Josephine Tey takes the reader on a journey from 1930s Cambridge to the bleak and desolate Suffolk coast - a journey which will ultimately leave Archie's and Josephine's lives changed forever.
213.
Nora : A Love Story of Nora and James Joyce by Nuala O'Connor EN
IrelandDescription:
Acclaimed Irish novelist Nuala O'Connor's bold reimagining of the life of James Joyce's wife, muse, and the model for Molly Bloom in Ulysses is a "lively and loving paean to the indomitable Nora Barnacle" (Edna O'Brien). Dublin, 1904. Nora Joseph Barnacle is a twenty-year-old from Galway who left school at twelve, is a chambermaid at Finn's Hotel, and has all but given up on a happy ending. But on June 16--Bloomsday--her life is changed when she meets James Joyce, a fateful encounter that turns into a lifelong love. Despite his hesitation to marry, Nora follows him in pursuit of a life beyond ... continue
214.
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell EN
Country: Europe / United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Description:
As relevant now as when it was first published, Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South skilfully weaves a compelling love story into a clash between the pursuit of profit and humanitarian ideals. This Penguin Classics edition is edited with an introduction by Patricia Ingham. When her father leaves the Church in a crisis of conscience, Margaret Hale is uprooted from her comfortable home in Hampshire to move with her family to the North of England. Initially repulsed by the ugliness of her new surroundings in the industrial town of Milton, Margaret becomes aware of the poverty and suffering of loc... continue
215.
Notre Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo EN
FranceDescription:
This translation of Notre-Dame de Paris offers Victor Hugo's epic view of mankind's history, which assumes even more importance than the novel's compelling story.
216.
Portugal217.
O Evangelho Segundo Jesus Cristo by José Saramago PT
Description:
Romance magistral e polêmico do Prêmio Nobel de Literatura de 1998. "O filho de José e de Maria nasceu como todos os filhos dos homens, sujo de sangue de sua mãe, viscoso das suas mucosidades e sofrendo em silêncio. Chorou porque o fizeram chorar, e chorará por esse mesmo e único motivo." Todos conhecem a história do filho de José e Maria, mas nesta narrativa ela ganha tanta beleza e tanta pungência que é como se estivesse sendo contada pela primeira vez. Nas palavras de José Paulo Paes: "Interessado menos na onipotência do divino que na frágil mas tenaz resistência do humano, a arte magistral... continue
Andorra219.
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens EN
Country: Europe / United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Description:
A gripping portrayal of London's dark criminal underbelly, published in Penguin Classics with an introduction by Philip Horne. The story of Oliver Twist - orphaned, and set upon by evil and adversity from his first breath - shocked readers when it was published. After running away from the workhouse and pompous beadle Mr Bumble, Oliver finds himself lured into a den of thieves peopled by vivid and memorable characters - the Artful Dodger, vicious burglar Bill Sikes, his dog Bull's Eye, and prostitute Nancy, all watched over by cunning master-thief Fagin. Combining elements of Gothic Romance, t... continue
220.
On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan EN
Country: Europe / United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Description:
It is July 1962. Florence is a talented musician who dreams of a career on the concert stage and of the perfect life she will create with Edward, an earnest young history student who unexpectedly won her heart.