Books of fiction that focus on a specific event, person, or accomplishment (similar to microhistories, except these are fiction rather than non-fiction)
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133 books · 17 voters · list created August 20th, 2025 by Joy D (votes) .
5 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Joy D 7829 books
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Andrea 1852 books
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Kathy 4920 books
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Deborah 9793 books
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Charlsa 5732 books
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Fiona 1686 books
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Pearl 1600 books
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NancyJ 13345 books
230 friends

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Comments Showing 1-5 of 5 (5 new)

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message 1: by Fiona (new)

Fiona Hurley I love Mantel and Cornwell, but I'm not sure how their books are "micro".


message 2: by Joy D (last edited Aug 21, 2025 12:51PM) (new)

Joy D Fiona wrote: "I love Mantel and Cornwell, but I'm not sure how their books are "micro"."
Thanks for the feedback.

Wolf Hall covers the period 1500 to 1535 in the court of Henry VIII and focused on the rise of Thomas Cromwell.

Bring Up the Bodies covers September 1535 to May 1536.

The Mirror & the Light runs from May 1536 to July 1540.

In the grand scheme of "English history," I think these are rather narrow.

I think the issue is how to define "microhistory" - not sure there is an agreed upon definition. Feel free to add books you feel are more representative.


message 3: by NancyJ (last edited Aug 21, 2025 03:17PM) (new)

NancyJ I like this list Joy. I think it might be hard for us to be certain about which books fit, but I trust your judgment. If my first reaction when reading a book description is “that might be too narrow,” I’ll know it’s a candidate. Lol

A couple definitions I found :
Microhistory examines a specific subject or event to gain insight into larger, broader historical processes and events.”

In the Time of the Butterflies is a perfect example of a book that dues that.

“Microhistory is a historical approach that uses detailed, in-depth analysis of small-scale events, individuals, or groups to understand larger, broader historical phenomena or to challenge dominant narratives.”


message 4: by Joy D (new)

Joy D Thanks, Nancy. I just wanted to give us a start. I am happy to adjust the list as needed.


message 5: by Fiona (last edited Aug 22, 2025 01:24AM) (new)

Fiona Hurley Joy D wrote: "Fiona wrote: "I love Mantel and Cornwell, but I'm not sure how their books are "micro"."
Thanks for the feedback.

Wolf Hall covers the period 1500 to 1535 in the court of Henry VIII and focused o..."


Thanks for responding, Joy. That makes sense. I suppose I'd assumed that anything with very famous historical characters like Henry VIII or Alfred the Great wouldn't be "microhistory", but I guess if the story is just about a small period of their lives, that counts.

Nice idea for a list, BTW.


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