For Readers: Blog

If I Could Turn Back Time

Despite what you may have heard, sometimes you should judge a book by its cover! When you’re browsing the shelves for a book to take home, you can often get a good idea of what's inside based on the vibe you get from the cover. The latest trend in cover art? If you see a woman looking into the distance, you’re on the right track for engaging and moving historical fiction. We’ve picked several to get you started on your journey back in time.

Based on a true story, Red Letter Days by Sarah-Jane Stratford follows two women as they fight the oppressive McCarthy-era attitudes of the United States through their creative endeavors in London.

Marie Benedict is known for showing us history through the eyes of overlooked figures. Her latest, Lady Clementine, shines light on Clementine Churchill, a strong-willed and competent woman in her own right, from the beginning of her marriage to Winston Churchill through several decades of war and peace.

If you like to learn about unfamiliar moments of history, try The Third Daughter by Talia Carner. This well-researched and poignant tale looks at the dangers of late 19th-century Argentina, with plenty of complex characters that you’ll admire. We're adding this title to the library's collection of book club favorites this spring!

Fans of The Nightingale and Lilac Girls should jump at the chance to read Kelly Rimmer’s The Things We Cannot Say. Alternating between Nazi-occupied Poland and the present day, this is a heart-wrenching story of family secrets and personal strength.

In Home for Erring and Outcast Girls by Julie Kibler, a present-day librarian is drawn to the records she uncovers about a rehabilitation home for women on the fringes of society in 20th-century Texas, where an unlikely pair of friends try to reinvent themselves.

A story of social climbing, betrayal, and class divides, Montauk by Nicola Harrison is the emotional story of a summer on Long Island and a woman unsure of what she truly wants out of life. 

A local favorite, Chicago-based author Renée Rosen transports the reader to the scandal and glamor of 1965 New York City in Park Avenue Summer. This high-drama journey of a small town girl trying to make her way at Cosmopolitan Magazine captures the feel of Mad Men and The Devil Wears Prada.

The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter by Hazel Gaynor follows four courageous women over the centuries in Ireland, perfect for the reader who loves interwoven storylines and looks forward to the reveal of how characters are connected.

For fans of time-travel romances and the intrigue of the Tudor court, The Phantom Tree by Nicola Cornick revolves around a mysterious painting and a disappearance. Think Outlander, but with less angst.

—Laura