Last July, while lamenting my inability to find absorbing books to read, I read through a number of ‘best historical fiction’ lists for 2025 and assembled a TBR list for myself.
That search resulted in:
- Solitary Walker by N.J. Mastro … see below
- The Director by Daniel Kehlmann
- The Jackal’s Mistress by Chris Bohjalian … here’s my review
- The King’s Messenger by Susanna Kearsley … here’s my review
- Follow Me to Africa by Penny Haw … see below
- The Riveter by Jack Wang … see below
- The English Problem by Beena Kamlani … here’s my review
- Babylonia by Constanza Cassati … see below
- The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry … see below
I’d already read The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict. Others didn’t appeal to me for various reasons.
Let me share some brief thoughts on five remaining novels from this list that I read during 2025.
Solitary Walker: A Novel of Mary Wollstonecraft by N.J. Mastro
Solitary Walker chronicles the life of Mary Wollstonecraft, a brilliant and fearless woman who is recognized as the first feminist of the western world fSolitary Walker by N.J. Mastroor her efforts to secure rights for women and the publication of her book, Vindication of the Rights of Women written in 1792. It’s an engrossing, intellectually stimulating, and well-paced novel that describes not just Mary’s determination to make a living through her writing, but also her courage, passion and fierce independence. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Follow Me to Africa by Penny Haw
Although the description of this novel sounded intriguing, sadly I didn’t make it past the first 50 pages.
The Riveter by Jack Wang
The main character in The Riveter, Josiah Chang, is Chinese Canadian. After working for years together, Josiah’s father dies, leaving Josiah to make his way in the world. The novel begins in 1942 Vancouver while war is raging across Europe and racial prejudices are in full bloom in Canada. Josiah is determined to enlist and prove himself to his girlfriend’s parents who don’t want their daughter to marry a Chinese man. The story mingles chapters about Josiah’s service in the war with the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion with chapters developing the relationship between Josiah and Poppy, the woman he loves. The challenge for me was the disjointed way the author mixed chapters set in the war with chapters focused on his relationship with Poppy.
Babylonia by Constanza Cassati
This novel was a wow! for me. The story begins in 823BCE and features the humble origin and dramatic rise of the woman who becomes Assyrian Queen Semiramis. A love triangle sits at the heart of the story with Semiramis falling in love with Onnes, military leader and adviser to Ninnes the King, and subsequently falling in love with Ninnes. The characters are compelling as are the machinations and fierce rivalries within Assyria and with external forces. The author excels at depicting the harsh brutality of the time and the wars that were fought between competing kingdoms.
The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry
The Story She Left Behind combines a mystery with a profound love story – the love of an abandoned child for the mother who left her. I’ve read many of Patti Callahan Henry’s novels so I immediately put this one on my TBR list. The novel opens with a brief scene from the past when Bronwyn Newcastle Fordman’s mother disappears, then quickly moves to 1952 when Bronwyn’s daughter Clara receives a mysterious letter from an Englishman who seems to have some connection with her mother. Although occasionally the story meanders, the characters are richly drawn, the settings are compelling, and the ending is very satisfying.
Since 2015, I’ve done a summary of books read during the year. For 2025, I chose to feature more books as I read them instead. I hope you’ve enjoyed this approach. You’ll find more under the tabs Reading Historical Fiction or Books I’ve Read.
FOR MORE ON READING & WRITING HISTORICAL FICTION FOLLOW A WRITER OF HISTORY. There’s a SUBSCRIBE function on the right hand side of the page.
M.K. Tod writes historical fiction. Her latest novel THAT WAS THEN is a contemporary thriller. Mary’s other novels, THE ADMIRAL’S WIFE, PARIS IN RUINS, TIME AND REGRET, LIES TOLD IN SILENCE and UNRAVELLED are available from Amazon, Nook, Kobo, Google Play and iTunes. She can be contacted on Facebook or on her website www.mktod.com.
