Popular Asian Historical Fiction Books

Find historical fiction books written by authors from Asia for the next part of the Read Around The World Challenge. (132)

41.

Fence by Ilā Āraba Mahetā EN

Rating: 4 (1 vote)
Country: Asia / India flag India
Description:
"It was time for that tiny little dream that lay hidden all these years to gradually acquire a form and shape. The thought of making it come true was an audacious one. She dared not do it. On the other hand she dared a lot after all, she was Fateema Lokhandwala, a courageous young woman... " "As pots and words banged against each other, her two-wheeler would whizz past everything, leaving it all behind. Main road, Mashallah! Current-like, the city would course through her body... At such times, Fateema lived in the present, and in the future. " Thus begins Ila Arab Mehta s beautiful and skillf... continue

42.

Funny Boy : A Novel by Shyam Selvadurai EN

Rating: 4 (2 votes)
Country: Asia / Sri Lanka flag Sri Lanka
Description:
A coming of age story about Arjun Chelvaratnam, who struggles with his homosexuality, entering into an affair with a schoolmate and breaking not only sexual taboos, but also social structures that separate the Tamil and Sinhalese.

43.

Golden Age : A Novel by Wang Xiaobo EN

Rating: 3 (1 vote)
Country: Asia / China flag China
Description:
"At the time Wang was writing, novels about the Cultural Revolution tended to be fairly conventional tales of how good people suffered nobly during this decade of madness. The system itself was rarely called into question. Wang’s book was radically different . . . The idea of how to stand up to power underlies Golden Age." —Ian Johnson, The New York Times Book Review Like Gary Shteyngart or Michel Houellebecq, Wang Xiaobo is a Chinese literary icon whose satire forces us to reconsider the ironies of history. “Apparently, there was a rumour that Chen Qingyang and I were having an affair. She wa... continue

44.

Gun Island : A spellbinding, globe-trotting novel by the bestselling author of the Ibis trilogy by Amitav Ghosh EN

0 Ratings
Country: Asia / India flag India
Description:
Bundook. Gun. A common word, but one which turns Deen Datta's world upside down. A dealer of rare books, Deen is used to a quiet life spent indoors, but as his once-solid beliefs begin to shift, he is forced to set out on an extraordinary journey; one that takes him from India to Los Angeles and Venice via a tangled route through the memories and experiences of those he meets along the way. There is Piya, a fellow Bengali-American who sets his journey in motion; Tipu, an entrepreneurial young man who opens Deen's eyes to the realities of growing up in today's world; Rafi, with his desperate at... continue

45.

Het huis van de moskee by Kader Abdolah NL

Rating: 4 (3 votes)
Country: Asia / Iran flag Iran
Description:
De wederwaardigheden van de grote familie van een Iraanse tapijthandelaar, die het huis van de moskee bewoont, tegen de achtergrond van de islamitische revolutie in 1979.

46.

Homesick by Eshkol Nevo EN

Rating: 2 (1 vote)
Country: Asia / Israel flag Israel
Description:
The narrative moves from character to character offering us windows into their lives. Each of them comes from somewhere different, but we gradually see that there's much about them that's the same. 'Homesick' is a clever and moving story about history, love, family and the true meaning of home.

47.
Honor

Honour by Elif Shafak EN

Rating: 5 (2 votes)
Country: Asia / Turkey flag Turkey
Description:
An honor killing shatters and transforms the lives of Turkish immigrants in 1970s London in this novel from the author of The Island of Missing Trees (a Reese's Book Club pick) Internationally bestselling Turkish author Elif Shafak’s new novel is a dramatic tale of families, love, and misunderstandings that follows the destinies of twin sisters born in a Kurdish village. While Jamila stays to become a midwife, Pembe follows her Turkish husband, Adem, to London, where they hope to make new lives for themselves and their children. In London, they face a choice: stay loyal to the old traditions o... continue

48.

Hotline by Dimitri Nasrallah EN

Rating: 4 (1 vote)
Country: Asia / Lebanon flag Lebanon
Description:
A 2023 Canada Reads Finalist Longlisted for the 2022 Scotiabank Giller Prize A vivid love letter to the 1980s and one woman's struggle to overcome the challenges of immigration. It's 1986, and Muna Heddad is in a bind. She and her son have moved to Montreal, leaving behind a civil war filled with bad memories in Lebanon. She had plans to find work as a French teacher, but no one in Quebec trusts her to teach the language. She needs to start making money, and fast. The only work Muna can find is at a weight-loss center as a hotline operator. All day, she takes calls from people responding to ad... continue

49.

House on Endless Waters : A Novel by Emuna Elon EN

Rating: 5 (1 vote)
Country: Asia / Israel flag Israel
Description:
“Elon powerfully evokes the obscurity of the past and its hold on the present, as we stumble through revelation after revelation with Yoel. As we accompany him on his journey...we share in his loss, surprise and grief, right up to the novel’s shocking conclusion.” —The New York Times Book Review “Emuna Elon’s powerful House on Endless Waters is essential Jewish fiction…a deeply immersive achievement that brings to life stories that must never be forgotten.” —USA TODAY “A story of love, loss, and yearning. Lyrically phrased and often powerfully visual…this deeply felt tale offers a rewarding me... continue

50.

How Do You Live? by Genzaburo Yoshino EN

Rating: 5 (1 vote)
Country: Asia / Japan flag Japan
Description:
The first English translation of the classic Japanese novel that has sold over 2 million copies—a childhood favorite of anime master Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle), with an introduction by Neil Gaiman. First published in 1937, Genzaburō Yoshino’s How Do You Live? has long been acknowledged in Japan as a crossover classic for young readers. Academy Award–winning animator Hayao Miyazaki has called it his favorite childhood book and announced plans to emerge from retirement to make it the basis of his final film. How Do You Live? is narrated in two voices... continue