Historical fiction novels possess a unique ability to transport you in space and time, inspire you to choose your next travel destination, and, like a highly skilled guide, equip you with curated itineraries and detailed narrations about history, culture, and traditions.
Last updated: January 23, 2026
Why Should You Read Historical Fiction as a Means to Enhance Your Travel?
I can go on and on telling you about books that inspired me to travel to one place or another. Many of these destinations I’ve known about for years. Yet I wasn’t inclined to visit them until discovering interesting facts, rich – often horrendous – histories, vibrant cultures, and ancient traditions through reading historical fiction works.
A historical fiction book is a map to off-the-beaten-path destinations. It’s your local travel guide – if you wish – that provides you with a handpicked excursion to a place you want or may only consider to visit for a fraction of a regular tour price.
At the same time, you can’t take your next historical fiction reading word for word. The genre is called fiction for an apparent reason. But when a fictional story evolves from real events, something magical is transfigured. The end result is a historic fiction book you can’t put down.
Whether you are an avid reader of historical fiction or it’s your first steps into the mysterious world of fiction intertwined with real facts, here are some of my favorite novels that will inspire you to dive deeper in this genre of literature.
HISTORIC FICTION BOOKS THAT ALLOW YOU TO TRAVEL IN SPACE AND TIME
1. Moloka’i and Daughter of Moloka’i
Two historical fiction novels set in Hawaii by Alan Brennert
Highly acclaimed and read by many, Moloka’i and Daughter of Moloka’i are some of the best historical fiction novels set in Hawaii I put my hands on. The books lift the curtain on the history of the U.S. that, as somebody who grew up in Europe, I was aware of, but never really knew all the ins and outs of.
Both Moloka’i and Daughter of Moloka’i retell the story of a leper colony on Moloka’i. When the disease hits the Hawaiian islands, the government rounds up all affected, kids and adults alike, and sends them to Moloka’i. In many cases, to die. All alone, separated from their families and surrounded by other unlucky strangers that become their new families.
Rachel Kalama was just a little girl when she was taken away from her parents and siblings and sent to exile. She never saw her mother and one of her brothers after that. But a rare hope and conviction that one day she would leave Moloka’i has sustained her for more than twenty years.
2. The Island of Sea Women
A historical fiction novel set on Jeju Island in Korea by Lisa See
Mi-ja and Young-sook have been best friends since the first time they met as little girls. They do everything together. They learn how to survive during the Japanese occupation, dive and catch sea creatures in both local and cold foreign waters.
Even now as married women, the best friends keep in touch. Although they live farther away from each other, they use every opportunity to meet. Until one day… When the cowardice of one, destroys the entire world of the other.
The book The Island of Sea Women is inspired by the hard lives of Jeju women whose heavy load became almost unbearable during the Japanese occupation. But despite all those hardships and brutality toward Koreans, the island of Jeju bounces back again and again, inspiring and astounding with its outstanding beauty and resilience.
READ MORE: Books to Read before Traveling to Korea
3. Sunflower Sisters
A historical fiction novel set during the American Civil War by Martha Hall Kelly
Jemma, an enslaved girl, is a property of Anne-May Wilson, a new owner of the plantation where Jemma’s family works. By fate or sheer coincidence, Jemma meets the Woolsey family. A widow with her grown-up daughters is known all across New York as a human right advocate. Apart from her already unconventional role in society, one of the young ladies, Georgeanna Woolsey, joins the battlefield as a Union nurse.
Sunflower Sisters is an intriguing historical fiction novel. Not only does the story evolve during the American Civil War that shapes the course of the entire country, but some of the protagonists are also based on real people.
4.The Last Green Valley
A historical fiction novel based on a true story by Mark T. Sullivan
Emil Martel barely survived the totalitarian regime in Eastern Europe. Born into a German family that settled in Ukraine decades ago, the Martel family has never been fully accepted by locals.
The situation worsened during World War II. To flee the advancing Soviet army and imminent exile to Siberia, the Martel family joins a Nazi evacuation and begins a dangerous journey to the West.
5. The Librarians of Lisbon
A WWII story of love and espionage set in Portugal by Suzanna Nelson
When World War II breaks out in Europe, Portugal strives to keep its neutrality. Neither following the lead of Allies nor falling prey to the Nazis, Lisbon preserves life unaffected by the devastations of the war. Or is it only on the surface? On the inside, the city is infested with spies, double-agents, and corrupted men devoted only to money.
This is the world that Selena Delmont and Beatrice Sullivan enter. The best friends leave their jobs in a Boston’s library and enlist to collect banned books and ship them to the U.S. But their roles in the undercover Lisbon go off the pre-planned trajectories.
As Selena and Bea get caught in the deception games played by Lisbon’s elite, the disgraced Portuguese baron Luca Caldeira, and suspicious spy Gable, they jeopardize not only their battles, but also their lives.
The Librarians of Lisbon is an engrossing work of fiction inspired by real historical figures and events. It’s a story that you won’t be able to put down or want it to finish. A historical fiction novel that will introduce you to the controversial side of Portugal during World War II.
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