Best New Historical Fiction - September 2026
A Time of Witches by Madeline Martin
Publisher: Hanover Square Press
Release Date: September 1, 2026
Synopsis:
Two women, bound by blood and betrayal, must break silence across centuries--or be silenced forever, in the dazzling new novel by New York Times bestselling author Madeline Martin.
Lilith Legare's life is unraveling. Since her mother's death, strange things have been happening - plants turn toward her touch, animals linger in her path, and the birthmark on her arm has started tingling. Worse still is her recurring nightmare of being burned alive at the stake.
Her search for answers brings her from Savannah to England, to the decaying Brackenmere Manor where the past blurs with the present. There, Lilith discovers a legacy she never asked for and along with it, the threat of peril. History must be rewritten, or she too will die.
In 1645 Suffolk, Sybil Brantham stands accused as a witch. An educated, wealthy widow, she is branded a threat by men who fear her independence. As arrests begin and suspicion abounds, Sybil must protect her younger sister, even as betrayal takes root within her household.
Across centuries, Lilith and Sybil are bound by blood and by danger. To save themselves, and each other, they must confront the silence that has stolen women's power for generations--and dare to claim their voices before it's too late.
Why We Recommend It!
A haunting dual-timeline novel, A Time of Witches connects the terror of England’s witch trials with one woman’s modern search for answers in a powerful story of inherited trauma, female resilience, and the courage to reclaim silenced voices.
The Silent Women by Tara Lynn Masih
Publisher: Storm Publishing
Release Date: September 9, 2026
Synopsis:
Oklahoma, 1935. Black Sunday. From the moment a wall of black dust devours the plains and buries her world, Song Holloway's life is marked by dislocation and loss. Even in the rural New England town she now calls home, that dark cloud continues to follow her.
Then the army asks her to take up work at a classified facility in the muddy outpost of Oak Ridge, a city that doesn't appear on any map. Trained to test pipes, Song searches for leaks in a system no one will explain. The work is dangerous. People vanish. Yet it's here, behind the barbed wire and watchtowers, that she finds what the dust storm stole: a place to belong and women who become her second family. And there is Hol--a gentle soldier who gives her, for the first time, peace.
Until she's summoned. A small room. Two agents. Men with power she will never have. Song is given a command: spy on the women in your life. In a city built on secrets, keeping quiet used to be enough. Now it makes her complicit. But Song's choices will haunt her long after she learns what flowed through those pipes.
The Silent Women is a sweeping, absorbing, and deeply human story about chosen family, moral courage, and what it costs to live with the truth. Perfect for readers of The Women of Arlington Hall, The Frozen River, and The Women.
Why We Recommend It!
Set against the Dust Bowl and the secrecy of wartime Oak Ridge, The Silent Women is a deeply human novel about chosen family, moral courage, and the devastating cost of complicity.
The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon
Publisher: Doubleday
Release Date: September 8, 2026
Synopsis:
A sweeping historical adventure inspired by the life of Grace O’Malley, the legendary Irish folk heroine who risked everything to defend her people. Venture onto the high seas with the thrilling latest from the New York Times bestselling author of The Frozen River and I Was Anastasia.
Grace O’Malley was born to be a sea captain. But despite her natural skill on the water, Grace learns early that her dreams of a life at the helm are not compatible with the expectations of her noble family. As the only daughter of a powerful chieftain, her role is to secure a strong alliance and bear children. But when she’s sent to foster with a nearby clan, Grace falls for a clever and open-minded second son—a man she cannot have.
Married off against her will to a brutal warrior, Grace performs her duty, all the while gathering followers loyal to her, and consolidating her husband’s power, only to be ousted from his lands. But this betrayal offers Grace the opportunity to return to sea, finally leading clan O’Malley’s mighty fleet. Just as she finds true independence, Queen Elizabeth’s incursions into Ireland grow bolder and Grace must fight to defend her land, her ships, and the people she loves most against the cruel and power-hungry English deputies, who will stop at nothing to check her influence.
Keenly observed and fiercely written, Ariel Lawhon's new action-packed novel channels the untamed beauty and harsh realities of sixteenth-century Ireland, as seen through the eyes of an unforgettable heroine who rightly became “the Pirate Queen of Ireland.”
Why We Recommend It!
A sweeping adventure set amid the beauty and brutality of sixteenth-century Ireland, The Pirate Queen transforms the legendary life of Grace O’Malley into a stirring story of defiance, independence, and one woman’s fight to protect her people.
Circus of the Vanishing Elephant by Tim Schooley
Publisher: HTF Publishing
Release Date: September 15, 2026
Synopsis:
How do you make an elephant disappear?
In 1974, the King Minos Circus is struggling to survive-until Christos "King" Minos unveils a dazzling new illusion: a vanishing elephant act starring Henrietta, the animal he loves more fiercely than he can admit.
But when Henrietta disappears during a parade, the trick becomes something far more dangerous.
Suspicion falls on Minos's estranged daughter, Randi-an activist who has vowed to free the circus elephants-and on Ainge, the circus's newest clown, a young man still haunted by his father's rejection after learning he is gay. Minos feels betrayed by both and vows to recover Henrietta and bring those responsible to justice.
But are Randi and Ainge the villains Minos imagines? Their journey across the American West-through small towns, roadside shows, and shifting loyalties-forces them all to confront hard questions about family, freedom, and who truly belongs to whom.
Because in the end, the fate of Henrietta may not belong to the circus at all.
Why We Recommend It!
Set against the fading spectacle of a 1970s traveling circus, Circus of the Vanishing Elephant is an offbeat and heartfelt journey through the American West that explores family, freedom, belonging, and the complicated boundaries between love and possession.
Exalted Objects by Jane D. Cairns
Publisher: HTF Publishing
Release Date: September 8, 2026
Synopsis:
In 1869 New Hampshire, railroad magnate George Stark faces an impossible choice: commit his eccentric brother Will-poet, prankster, and zookeeper-to an asylum or risk his career and family name after a disastrous train crash and public scandal.
Rewinding to 1846, this sweeping historical novel follows the Stark brothers on diverging paths. George's ambition propels him into the heart of America's railroad boom, while Will's restless spirit transforms the family estate into a sanctuary for exotic animals and ideas. As the Civil War looms, their contrasting lives highlight the tension between order and creativity, ambition and freedom.
Torn between duty and compassion, George must decide whether to sacrifice his brother's freedom or embrace the creativity that once united them. A moving meditation on ambition, forgiveness, and family, this novel brings a forgotten chapter of American history to life with wit, heart, and unforgettable characters. Perfect for fans of historical fiction exploring the price of progress and sibling bonds.
Why We Recommend It!
Rich with wit and historical detail, Exalted Objects follows two unconventional brothers through America’s railroad boom and the Civil War in a moving exploration of ambition, creativity, forgiveness, and the bonds of family.
