Best New Historical Fiction - May 2025
The Cardinal by Alison Weir
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Release Date: May 27, 2025
Synopsis:
In this thrilling novel of friendship and betrayal at the royal court, the New York Times bestselling author of the Six Tudor Queens series explores the rise of Thomas Wolsey, who was Henry VIII's chief advisor—until the king accused him of treason.
Cardinal Thomas Wolsey enjoyed one of the most meteoric careers in history. His rise from humble beginnings coincided with Henry VIII’s ascension to the throne in 1509, when the king appointed him to his privy council. The two grew to be cherished friends, and by 1515 Wolsey, now a cardinal, had become the controlling figure in all matters of church and state, in spite of the jealous criticisms of the nobles, who resented him for usurping what they saw as their role as the king’s natural advisors. These were dangerous enemies to have.
Wolsey operated on an international stage and worked hard to broker universal peace. All was going dazzlingly until Henry fell in love with Anne Boleyn—the woman whom Wolsey would one day call “the night crow”—and sought to end his marriage to his first wife, Katherine of Aragon. Swept up in the maelstrom of “the Divorce,” Wolsey, who had successfully striven to give his master everything he wanted, found himself in an impossible situation as he drew the ire of the queen, with his world crumbling around him.
Alison Weir's poignant novel tells the story of Wolsey the man, his incredible rise to power and his tragic fall. She delves beyond the splendour and political machinations of the Tudor court to reveal the secrets of Wolsey's private life, the mistress and children he was devoted to, and the tragedy that overtook them. It is a tale of two women, one who loved him and one who hated him—and also a tale of two men, king and commoner, the special, deep-rooted bonds that brought them together, and the forces that drove them apart.
Why We Recommend It!
A masterful blend of historical authenticity and compelling storytelling, The Cardinal by Alison Weir brings to life the dramatic rise and fall of Thomas Wolsey with emotional depth and meticulous attention to true events.
The Rebel of Seventh Avenue by Annabelle Marx
Publisher: Storm Publishing
Release Date: May 21, 2025
Synopsis:
Fashion, I came to realise, wasn’t just about beautiful dresses. It was about self-respect, freedom of expression and power.
1910, Edinburgh. Young seamstress Maisie McIntyre’s world shatters with her mother’s death. Desperate to escape the grinding poverty that has defined her life so far, Maisie makes a daring she steals a bolt of peacock-blue silk, a stash of money and sails for New York City.
With nothing but raw talent and fierce determination, Maisie’s gift for dressmaking opens doors she never imagined. As she builds her couture empire, designing bold, modern fashions for Manhattan’s elite, Maisie falls for Joseph Jackson, a talented Black architect with dreams as ambitious as her own. But in a world steeped in prejudice, she finds herself facing an impossible choice.
Vividly recreating the glamour and grit of early 20th century New York – from the devastating Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire to the emerging women’s rights movement – comes a sweeping tale of ambition, love and a woman determined to fashion not just beautiful clothes but her own place in a man’s world. Fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, An American Beauty and novels by Marie Benedict will be spellbound by The Rebel of Seventh Avenue.
Why We Recommend It!
A sweeping story of ambition, resilience, and self-invention, The Rebel of Seventh Avenue by Annabelle Marx vividly captures the grit and glamour of early 20th-century New York, weaving true historical events into a powerful portrait of a woman determined to claim her own destiny against all odds.
Where the Rivers Merge by Mary Alice Monroe
Publisher: William Morrow
Release Date: May 13, 2025
Synopsis:
From New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe comes her highly anticipated Where the Rivers Merge, the first of two epic and triumphant novels celebrating one intrepid woman's life across multiple generations in the American South.
1908: The Lowcountry of South Carolina is at the cusp of change. Mayfield, the grand estate held for generations by the Rivers family, is the treasured home of young Eliza. Free spirited, she refuses to be confined by societal norms. Instead, Eliza revels in exploring the golden fields and sparkling ponds of Mayfield, observing wildlife, and riding horses.
But her halcyon days are cut short by the Great War, coastal storms, and unexpected challenges to Mayfield. As Eliza battles personal pains and the ravages of family turmoil over the years, her love and devotion for the natural world puts her on a collision course with the patriarchal traditions of a bygone era.
1988: At 88, Eliza is the scion of the Rivers/DeLancey family. She’s fought a lifetime to save her beloved Mayfield and is too independent and committed to quietly retire and leave the fate of the estate to her greedy son. She must make decisions that will assure the future of the land and her family—or watch them both be split apart.
Set against the evocative landscape of the twentieth-century low country, Where the Rivers Merge is a dramatic and sweeping multigenerational family story of unyielding love, lessons learned, profound sacrifices, and the indomitable spirit of a woman determined to persevere in the face of change in order to protect her family legacy and the land she loves.
Why We Recommend It!
A richly woven saga of resilience, family, and the enduring bond between people and the land, Where the Rivers Merge by Mary Alice Monroe brings to life the sweeping history of South Carolina’s Lowcountry through the unforgettable journey of a woman determined to protect her legacy across generations.
My Name is Amelia del Valle by Isabel Allende
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Release Date: May 6, 2025
Synopsis:
In this spellbinding historical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of A Long Petal of the Sea and The Wind Knows My Name, a young writer journeys to South America to uncover the truth about her father—and herself.
In San Francisco 1866, an Irish nun, left pregnant and abandoned following a torrid relationship with a Chilean aristocrat, gives birth to a daughter named Emilia Del Valle. Raised by a loving stepfather, Emilia grows into an independent thinker and a self-sufficient young woman.
To pursue her passion for writing, she is willing to defy societal norms. At the age of sixteen, she begins to publish pulp fiction under a man’s pen name. When these fictional worlds can't contain her sense of adventure any longer, she turns to journalism, convincing an editor at the San Francisco Examiner to hire her. There she is paired with another talented reporter, Eric Whelan.
As she proves herself, her restlessness returns, until an opportunity arises to cover a brewing civil war in Chile. She seizes it, along with Eric, and while there, begins to uncover the truth about her father and the country that represents her roots. But as the war escalates, Emilia finds herself in danger and at a crossroads, questioning both her identity and her destiny.
A riveting tale of self-discovery and love from one of the most masterful storytellers of our time, My Name is Emilia del Valle introduces a character who will never let hold of your heart.
Why We Recommend It!
A sweeping and luminous tale of ambition, love, and self-discovery, My Name Is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende captures the spirit of a young woman determined to forge her own destiny against the backdrop of 19th-century South America’s turbulent history.
Go On Pretending by Alina Adams
Publisher: History Through Fiction
Release Date: May 1, 2025
Synopsis:
Three generations of women battle against the tides of history, from segregated 1950s America to the fall of the USSR and the rise of revolutionary Rojava.
Rose Janowitz is a pioneer in the 1950s golden age of television, as she navigates the transition from radio to TV soap operas. But beneath the glitz and glamor lies a web of secrets. Rose's radical past and her hidden romance with Jonas Cain, the African-American leading man who made Guiding Light a hit on radio. How long will Rose be able to hide Jonas Cain's identity-and their romantic relationship-from the public, and from Irna Phillips, the formidable doyenne who invented the soap-opera, a woman who makes-and breaks-professional careers on a whim.
In the 1980s, Rose's daughter Emma Kagan abandons her privileged life in the USSR as the daughter of high-profile American defectors, to return to the country of her parents' birth just as Mikhail Gorbachev announces the new openness known as glasnost. In the US, Emma navigates the hypocrisy and inherent contradictions of the political left and the right, as the collapse of the Soviet Union sends her scrambling for survival. Emma's search for a place to fully belong finds her looking for personal freedom in the strangest of places-with unexpected and often life-threatening results.
In 2012, Libby, Emma's daughter and Rose's granddaughter, embarks on a bold journey to Rojava, Syria, joining the Women's Revolution. Her search for utopia pulls Rose and Emma into the fray, where family secrets long buried are unearthed amid the anarchy of war.
New York Times bestselling author Alina Adams brings her unique perspective as a Soviet immigrant to the US who mastered English through soap operas to this multilayered tale. With a background in broadcast communications and a history of writing compelling narratives, Adams captures the essence of each era with authenticity and emotional depth. From the author of the acclaimed historical novel My Mother's Secret, Go On Pretending offers a powerful exploration of the struggles for personal freedom and the enduring strength of family bonds.
Why We Recommend It!
We are proud to publish Go On Pretending, a sweeping, multigenerational novel by Alina Adams that brings to life the struggles for love, freedom, and identity across the worlds of 1950s American television, Soviet Russia, and revolutionary Syria with unforgettable depth and resonance.
