Popular Asian Historical Fiction Books
Find historical fiction books written by authors from Asia for the next part of the Read Around The World Challenge. (335)
1.
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World by Elif Shafak EN
TurkeyDescription:
'In the first minute following her death, Tequila Leila's consciousness began to ebb, slowly and steadily, like a tide receding from the shore. Her brain cells, having run out of blood, were now completely deprived of oxygen. But they did not shut down. Not right away . . . ' Our brains stay active for ten minutes after our heart stops beating. For Tequila Leila, each minute brings with it a new memory- growing up with her father and his two wives in a grand old house in a quiet Turkish town; watching the women gossip and wax their legs while the men went to mosque; sneaking cigarettes and Wes... continue
2.
8 Lives of a Century-Old Trickster by Mirinae Lee EN
Country: Asia / 
South Korea
South Korea
Description:
Slave. Escape-Artist. Murderer. Terrorist. Spy. Lover. Mother. Trickster.Ms Mook made you want to listen to her, but I wasn't sure what to believe. She said she would turn 'one hundred the day after tomorrow', yet she looked at most eighty-seven. She said she'd been a slave, a spy, a murderer and more, but were these just the fantasies of an old woman, eager to fill her obituary with colourful stories?This wildly original and vibrant novel tells stories of captivity, friendship, assumed identities and spying. Moving from a nursing home in contemporary South Korea to WWII Indonesia, Seoul in th... continue
3.
A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur EN
Country: Asia / South Korea
South Korea
Description:
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! June Hur, bestselling author of The Red Palace, crafts a devastating and pulse-pounding tale that will feel all-too-relevant in today’s world, based on a true story from Korean history. Hope is dangerous. Love is deadly. 1506, Joseon. The people suffer under the cruel reign of the tyrant King Yeonsan, powerless to stop him from commandeering their land for his recreational use, banning and burning books, and kidnapping and horrifically abusing women and girls as his personal playthings. Seventeen-year-old Iseul has lived a sheltered, privileged life despit... continue
4.
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry EN
IndiaDescription:
"A novel set in India during the Emergency, by the author of Such a Long Journey."
5.
A Gesture Life by Chang-rae Lee EN
Country: Asia / South Korea
South Korea
Description:
From the acclaimed author of "Native Speaker" comes his second novel about a Japanese World War II veteran who becomes a proper man and upstanding citizen in New York.
6.
ChinaDescription:
The epic Chinese classic and phenomenon published in the US for the first time! Featured in iO9's 2019 Fall Preview. Set in ancient China, in a world where kung fu is magic, kingdoms vie for power and the battle to become the ultimate kung fu master unfolds, an unlikely hero is born... in the first book in the epic Legends of the Condor Heroes by the critically acclaimed master of the genre, Jin Yong. After his father—a devoted Song patriot—is murdered by the Jin empire, Guo Jing and his mother flee to the plains of Ghengis Khan and his people for refuge. For one day he must face his mortal en... continue
7.
A History of the Big House : A Novel by Charif Majdalani EN
LebanonDescription:
This vibrant family saga chronicles the rise and fall of the Nassar clan, as they navigate the great events of the 20th century in Lebanon, from the Ottoman Empire to the French Mandate. At the end of the 19th century, a man is forced to flee his village after a quarrel. Starting over with nothing, the banished, audacious Wakim Nassar will create orange plantations on the outskirts of Beirut and become the head of a large clan, feared and respected. The great house he builds at their center will become a powerful symbol of the Nassars’ glory, admired from afar. But this decadence is short-live... continue
8.
À l'ombre des arbres millénaires by Vaddey Ratner FR
CambodiaDescription:
Descendante du roi Sisowath qui a régné sur le Cambodge de 1904 à 1927, Vaddey Ratner a enduré le terrible régime khmer rouge avant de s'enfuir aux États-Unis. À l'ombre des arbres millénaires est un best-seller du New York Times et est en cours de traduction dans dix-neuf pays.
9.
A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar EN
Country: Asia / 
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Description:
Adiba Jaigirdar, author of one of TIME's Best YA books of all time and winner of the YA Book Prize 2022, gives Titanic an Ocean's 8 makeover in this nail-biting heist set onboard the infamous ship. Four friends have stolen aboard the Titanic. They're after the Rubaiyat - a book inlaid with priceless jewels. Josefa is a charismatic thief, Hinnah a daring acrobat, Violet an outstanding actress and Emilie a talented artist. It is Josefa's plan, but she needs all of their skills. Despite their very different backgrounds, in a world of first-class passengers and suspicious crew members, the girls m... continue
10.
A Passage North by Anuk Arudpragasam EN
Sri LankaDescription:
SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2021 It begins with a message: a telephone call informing Krishan that his grandmother''s former care-giver, Rani, has died in unexpected circumstances, at the bottom of a well in her village in the north, her neck broken by the fall. The news arrives on the heels of an email from Anjum, an activist he fell in love with four years earlier while living in Delhi, bringing with it the stirring of distant memories and desires. As Krishan makes the long journey by train from Colombo into the war-torn Northern Province for the funeral, so begins a passage into the so... continue