on my bookshelf: historical fiction

  Over a year ago, when I wrote On My Bookshelf: Fairytale Retellings, my idea was to continue writing posts about a bunch of different genres. Somehow, that never happened. I wasn't a very consistent blogger last year. Now that I've begun blogging a lot more frequently, I decided to start up these On My Bookshelf posts again!

  I decided to start off with historical fiction. Historical fiction has impacted me a lot throughout my life. The stories are so powerful, and they've given me a love for history. Here are some of my absolute favorite books in the historical fiction genre:

 The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Oh, this book. I wanted to start off with this one, because not only is it my favorite out of all of the books on this list, but it's one of my favorite books of all time. It's about Liesel, a girl growing up in Germany during World War II. It's about her life and the people she meets, and it's about her love for words. It's beautifully written, and the characters touched my heart. This book is brilliant and unforgettable.

Wings like a Dove by Christine Farenhorst

This is one of the Chosen Daughters books - a series of books by several different authers about real Christian girls from throughout history. This one is about Jeanne D'albret, the daughter of the King and Queen of Navarre, and her struggle to decide whether she will keep her Huguenot faith a secret and save her life - or risk everything by standing up for the truth. Definitely worth reading!
 

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

 Set during the American War for Independence, Chains is about a girl who is seeking her own freedom - from slavery. It's an incredible story, and shows what the war meant to slaves like Isobel. The sequel, Forge, is great as well.

The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope 

This story starts off when 1950s girl, Peggy Grahame, moves to her family's ancestral estate. She soon finds that there's a mystery surrounding the house - and it involves her Colonial ancestors and the part they played in the Revolutionary War. Super cool book, folks.

Shadow of His Hand by Wendy Lawton


This book is part of the Daughters of the Faith series. This particular one is about Anita Dittman, a Holocaust survivor. She's a wonderful example of a girl who never gives up hope, and always believes, even when imprisoned in a concentration camp, that God has a purpose for everything. Just awesome. 
 

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi

Set in 1832, it's about thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle who sets sail across the Atlantic Ocean to be reunited with her family in America. The problem? She's the only passenger on the ship, and the captain and the crew are a dangerous bunch. She ends up trying to solve a mystery, joining the crew, and getting accused of murder. It's a really fun book!

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Like The Book Thief, this book made it into my all-time favorites list. It's so amazing. It's about Lina, a Lithuanian girl, and her family. One night her mother, little brother, and herself are loaded into a cattle car and deported to a labor camp in Siberia. It's a powerful story of "extreme suffering, and tremendous hope". I had never read about this part of history before - about Stalin and what he did to the Anti-Soviet people. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.You should also watch this video about it.

 A Separate Peace by John Knowles

 Guess what? This is another World War II novel. I know, there's a lot of them on my list! This is a very thought-provoking book, and it gives a different perspective to the war. It's about a boy's boarding school in New England, and how the war effected the boy's lives. It's deep and sad and lovely.





  And we're done! That was a long list, but there are just so many great historical fiction books out there! 

 Here are two questions for you guys:  Do you like historical fiction? And if so, what are some of your favorites? I'd love to hear about them!

love, 
Hannah