The historical fiction genre is filled with thousands of amazing books. That makes choosing what to read almost impossible. That is why we have selected award winning historical fiction books worth reading. So, keep reading to see what they are and what you should read next!
Whenever I need a good book to read, I turn to historical fiction novels because I know I’m in for a treat. Even though fantasy is my favorite genre, most of my favorite books are historical fiction novels. There is something alluring about this genre and the stories are all different but still powerful.
And you know the novels on this list will resonate with you because they all won prestigious awards. From The Pulitzer Award to the National Book Award for Fiction, these books are considered the best of the best. You can see the full list below!
Award Winning Historical Fiction Books
- Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
- Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
- A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
- All Clear by Connie Willis
- The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
Novels on this list such as Homegoing, Things All Apart, Beloved, and The Underground Railroad are not light reads. You will feel a lot of emotions and may need to take a break here and there. While these novels are historical fiction, many of them are based on true events or what the reality was back in those days.
Maybe that is why I love historical fiction books. They evoke strong emotions and the research that these authors do transports you to that time period. These novels are not light hearted reads so while they may not be the best beach reads or cozy reads, they are worth it.
My personal favorite novel on this list is The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead and it made me a lifelong fan of Whitehead as a result. This is a powerful novel and the storytelling makes this novel a one out of one. The Underground Railroad went on to won the Pulitzer Prize in 2017 and is one of two novels by Whitehead to win the award.
Conclusion
These are the award winning historical fiction books worth reading and adding to your reading list. Once you read them, you will see why they won and discover even more amazing books by these authors. I am always going to be checking out which historical fiction books get nominated for awards and ones that win them because that almost guarantees a great read. Happy reading!
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I’ve read three of the books on your list. The surprising one was Things Fall Apart.
The best historical fiction I ever have read is “The Women” by Kristin Hannah.
I have read the Three Musketeers and Man in the Iron Mask, and it is a very interesting story, thanks to Alexander Dumas who wrote it. I love his novel. He was a great authorization, and writer.
Could you compose a list of your ten best historical fiction novels to suggest that we all read? I would put “The Nickel Boys” for sure on that list.
Will do this very soon!
There are some fantastic novels across all genres written by indie authors. Many such writers, like me, are not content to play the games agents and most publishers often play. You might be pleasantly surprised by what’s out there that wasn’t published by the Big Five or any of its corporate minions. I’d be happy to suggest some titles!