Best New Historical Fiction - April 2026
Mrs. Benedict Arnold by Emma Parry
Publisher: Zando
Release Date: April 26, 2026
Synopsis:
A riveting reimagining of the young woman who almost ended the American Revolution.
Philadelphia in the 1770s. Peggy Shippen longs for the war she’s living through to end. Though not always appreciated at home, she finds her curiosity is welcomed by a lively and influential circle of friends, including a glamorous rising star in the British army, Captain John André.
When the war separates them, Peggy is devastated—both by his absence and the horrors of ongoing conflict—before finding consolation in a man whose heroics for the Patriots have captured the world’s imagination: General Benedict Arnold.
As she trades Loyalist balls for Patriot salons, entertaining the most prominent figures of early America, and navigating the country’s lethal political currents, she conceives of an audacious scheme to achieve peace and her family’s survival, unleashing what would become the most famous act of treason in history.
When uncertainty and bloodshed are the only constants, Mrs. Benedict Arnold asks, how far will one woman go for safety?
Why We Recommend It!
A bold and provocative reimagining of one of history’s most infamous women, Mrs. Benedict Arnold explores loyalty, survival, and the perilous cost of peace, giving fresh dimension to a figure long overshadowed by scandal and betrayal.
The Mountains We Call Home by Kim Michele Richardson
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Release Date: April 21, 2026
Synopsis:
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek comes a triumphant tale of a librarian's fight to bring literacy to the prisons of Kentucky and the underserved neighborhoods of downtown Louisville, revealing a story of fierce love, quiet strength, and the healing power of books.
When Cussy Lovett, a Packhorse Librarian famed for bringing books to the people of Appalachia, is unjustly incarcerated, she finds a new calling as a prison librarian, bringing hope to downtrodden women and voiceless city residents alike, finding a home even while separated from those she loves. A vivid portrait of mid-century Kentucky, from the hills and hollers of Appalachia to a vibrant city neighborhood on the cusp of urban renewal, The Mountains We Call Home explores the effects of criminalization and incarceration on the poor and powerless, while tracing the societal consequences of fractured family bonds.
Gritty, heartbreaking, yet infused with hope, The Mountains We Call Home is an authentic American tale and a powerful testament of strength, survival, and the magic of the written word.
Why We Recommend It!
Gritty, compassionate, and deeply resonant, The Mountains We Call Home celebrates the transformative power of books while illuminating the resilience of women and communities too often forgotten by history.
Margery & Me by Maryka Biaggo
Publisher: Regal House Publishing
Release Date: April 21, 2026
Synopsis:
In the 1920s, Margery Crandon captivated both Boston society and psychic researchers with her astonishing seances.
At her gatherings, her deceased brother Walter regularly appeared, entertaining the circle with his witty and cheeky remarks.
Margery's abilities earned her the admiration of luminaries, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and William Butler Yeats.
But one man stood in opposition: Harry Houdini, the legendary magician, who was determined to expose her as a fraud.
Margery and Me tells the true story of the medium who mystified scientists, challenged skeptics, and sparked a sensation across America and Europe.
As Houdini and Margery clashed in a battle of wits and wills, the question remained: Could the master illusionist unmask her, or would her extraordinary powers be enough to convert even the most resolute of doubters?
Why We Recommend It!
A mesmerizing portrait of fame, belief, and deception, Margery & Me resurrects one of the twentieth century’s most sensational true stories, inviting readers into a dazzling clash between spiritualism and skepticism.
The Patchwork Players by Jennifer Chiaverini
Publisher: William Morrow
Release Date: April 14, 2026
Synopsis:
The cast of a smash TV show arrives at a quilter’s retreat for a week of camaraderie and creativity that takes some surprising twists in this heartwarming new installment of Jennifer Chiaverini’s much-beloved Elm Creek Quilts series.
Acclaimed TV actress Julia Merchaud almost can’t believe her good fortune. Her beloved historical drama, A Patchwork Life, revived her career and made stars of several younger actors. But Julia’s happiness turns to dismay when she learns that the hit show will have only one more season. Can she convince everyone to stay just a little longer?
Inspiration comes after a conversation with Summer Sullivan, one of the expert quilters who helped Julia prepare for her role. When Summer confides that Elm Creek Quilt Camp is in financial trouble, Julia concocts a brilliant plan that will help the Elm Creek Quilters and herself.
Julia sets about persuading the cast and crew to join her for what she promises will be a marvelous week at a luxurious nineteenth-century mansion amid the autumnal splendor of central Pennsylvania, a creative and dynamic working vacation they’ll never forget. Secretly, she hopes the bonding experience will convince them to abandon their other plans and sign on for another few seasons. But after several joyful days of quilting and camaraderie, Julia’s scheme takes an unexpected turn. Soon she’ll have to make hard choices about which matters more—career or friendship.
Why We Recommend It!
Warm, charming, and threaded with heart, The Patchwork Players blends friendship, creativity, and second chances into a comforting yet poignant story about the ties that bind us—on screen, in community, and across generations.
Love & Other Monsters by Emily Franklin
Publisher: David R. Godine Publisher
Release Date: April 7 2026
Synopsis:
In the stormy, scandalous summer of 1816, daring eighteen-year-old Claire Clairmont changed the course of literature forever. But then--unlike her stepsister Mary Shelley--she was forgotten, until now.
During the dangerous storms of The Year Without Summer, a group of famous young writers gathered at a mansion on the shores of Lake Geneva, Switzerland. Brilliant Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, her fiery fiancé Percy Shelley, the famously promiscuous Lord Byron, and John Polidori, his sexually tormented personal physician. At the group's center was Claire Clairmont, Mary's impressionable, clever, and dangerously loyal stepsister.
Those months of desire, betrayal, and creative passion gave the world the works of Frankenstein, the modern vampire, and the mythic image of these Romantic literary giants. In this intense and propulsive story of love, lust, art and betrayal Claire tells her story, trying to solve the mystery of why she was all but erased from history.
Claire--herself a writer--is desperate to free herself from the uncomfortable role she plays in her sister's marriage in London. Fueled by Jane Austin's romantic novels, and believing love offers freedom, Claire begins an affair with celebrity Lord Byron and convinces Mary and Shelley to follow him to Switzerland.
With the threat of paparazzi lurking nearby, Claire's intimate connection to each member of the celebrity group grows more complex. Her journey of self-discovery leads her to document everyone's secrets in her journal, and when climate disaster causes food shortages, Claire learns to forage, determined to prove her worth in a world built by and created for men.
The real Claire Clairmont poured her love, life, and razor-sharp wit into her pages, yet her journal from 1816 is curiously missing and each member of the group had a reason to take it.
With searing relevance to our here and now--of celebrity worship, climate disaster, of complicated femininity, Love & Other Monsters is the untold origin story of Frankenstein, a feminist reckoning of sisters, survival, and the creation of monsters--both those on the page and those who walk among us.
Why We Recommend It!
Fierce, atmospheric, and brilliantly revisionist, Love & Other Monsters restores Claire Clairmont to the center of a legendary literary summer, revealing the passion, ambition, and erasure behind one of history’s most mythologized circles.
