Popular North American Historical Fiction Books
Find historical fiction books written by authors from North America for the next part of the Read Around The World Challenge. (358)
251.
The Golden Horse : A Novel about Triumph and Tragedy Building the Panama Railroad by Juan David Morgan EN
Country: North America / 
Panama
Panama
Description:
"The Golden Horse by Juan David Morgan is a sweeping saga, painting a vivid, personal portrayal of the events that transpired as a result of the rivalry between New York shipping magnates, William Aspinwall and Cornelius Vanderbilt, and the enormous personal cost that was borne by the people involved in the construction of the Panama Railroad-- the first transcontinental train in the Americas-- built during the California Gold Rush. Thousands of people died during the construction, succumbing to tropical diseases and natural disasters. Despite the danger, the lust of gold fever and the challen... continue
252.
The Good Earth by Pearl Sydenstricker Buck EN
Country: North America / 
United States of America
United States of America
Description:
When O-lan, a servant girl, marries the peasant Wang Lung, she toils tirelessly through four pregnancies for their family's survival. Reward at first is meagre, but there is sustenance in the land - until the famine comes. Half-starved, the family joins thousands of peasants to beg on the city streets. It seems that all is lost, until O-lan's desperate will to survive returns them home with undreamt of wealth. But they have betrayed the earth from which true wealth springs, and the family's money breeds only mistrust, deception - and heartbreak for the woman who had saved them. The Good Earthi... continue
253.
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck EN
Country: North America / United States of America
United States of America
Description:
The Grapes of Wrath is a novel written by John Steinbeck that tells the story of the Joad family's journey from Oklahoma to California during the Great Depression. The novel highlights the struggles and hardships faced by migrant workers during this time, as well as the exploitation they faced at the hands of wealthy landowners. Steinbeck's writing style is raw and powerful, with vivid descriptions that bring the characters and their surroundings to life. The novel has been widely acclaimed for its social commentary and remains a classic in American literature. Despite being published over 80 ... continue
254.
The Great Believers : A Novel by Rebecca Makkai EN
Country: North America / United States of America
United States of America
Description:
PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST A NEW YORK TIMES TOP 10 BOOK OF 2018 LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE WINNER ALA CARNEGIE MEDAL WINNER THE STONEWALL BOOK AWARD WINNER Soon to Be a Major Television Event, optioned by Amy Poehler • One of the New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century “A page turner . . . An absorbing and emotionally riveting story about what it’s like to live during times of crisis.” —The New York Times Book Review A dazzling novel of friendship and redemption in the face of tragedy and loss set in 1980s Chicago and contemporary Paris In 1985, Yale Tis... continue
255.
The Great Divide : A Novel by Cristina Henriquez EN
Country: North America / United States of America
United States of America
Description:
"A novel about the construction of the Panama Canal, following the intersecting lives of the local families fighting to protect their homeland, the West Indian laborers recruited to dig the waterway, and the white Americans who gained profit and glory for themselves"--
256.
The Great Gatsby by Francis Scott Fitzgerald EN
Country: North America / United States of America
United States of America
Description:
Fitzgerald's classic tale of jazz-era New York and the mysterious, party-throwing millionaire Jay Gatsby. It's 1922 and New York is electric. A hotbed of jazz, glamour and scandal. The playground of the super-rich. And the new home of Nick Carraway, a Mid-Western man chasing his American dream. For eighty dollars a month, Carraway finds himself the unlikely neighbour of his beautiful cousin Daisy Buchannan and a mysterious millionaire - Jay Gatsby. From the shadow of Gatsby's mansion, Carraway is drawn into the glittering, captivating world of the wealthy - their parties, their love affairs, a... continue
257.
The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows EN
Country: North America / United States of America
United States of America
Description:
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NOW A NETFLIX FILM • A remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German Occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as its name. “Treat yourself to this book, please—I can’t recommend it highly enough.”—Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love “I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that sh... continue
258.
The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas EN
Country: North America / 
Mexico
Mexico
Description:
Mexican Gothic meets Rebecca in this debut supernatural suspense novel, set in the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence, about a remote house, a sinister haunting, and the woman pulled into their clutches... During the overthrow of the Mexican government, Beatriz’s father was executed and her home destroyed. When handsome Don Rodolfo Solórzano proposes, Beatriz ignores the rumors surrounding his first wife’s sudden demise, choosing instead to seize the security that his estate in the countryside provides. She will have her own home again, no matter the cost. But Hacienda San Isidro is ... continue
259.
The Harder They Come by Michael Thelwell EN
Country: North America / 
Jamaica
Jamaica
Description:
Like the acclaimed film of the same title, this lyrical, lilting, densely textured novel is based on the exploits of the legendary Jamaican folk hero and reggae star Rhygin. With passion and precision, Michael Thelwell recounts Rhygin's journey from a morally coherent rural universe to the teeming, predatory slums of Kingston, his rebellion against the poverty and corruption of postcolonial Jamaica, his blazing, simultaneous rise to the top of the charts and the Most Wanted list.
260.
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride EN
Country: North America / United States of America
United States of America
Description:
THE RUNAWAY NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK • A NEW YORK TIMES READERS PICK: 100 BEST BOOKS OF THE 21ST CENTURY WINNER OF THE 2024 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PRIZE FOR AMERICAN FICTION FROM ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE OF 2024 NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY NPR/FRESH AIR, WASHINGTON POST, THE NEW YORKER, AND TIME MAGAZINE ONE OF BARACK OBAMA'S FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2023 “A murder mystery locked inside a Great American Novel . . . Charming, smart, heart-blistering, and heart-healing.” —Danez Smith, The New York Times Book Review “We all need—we all deserve—t... continue