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Best historical fiction novels set in the United States from pre-colonial times to recent times.
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4.06 avg rating — 182,627 ratings
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3.86 avg rating — 72,707 ratings
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3.93 avg rating — 134,576 ratings
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4.03 avg rating — 161,282 ratings
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20

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4.28 avg rating — 761,714 ratings
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24

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4.35 avg rating — 678,058 ratings
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25

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4.15 avg rating — 13,215 ratings
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25

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3.91 avg rating — 137,549 ratings
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27

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3.98 avg rating — 500,317 ratings
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28

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3.86 avg rating — 195,627 ratings
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29

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4.09 avg rating — 37,783 ratings
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30

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31

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3.90 avg rating — 130,920 ratings
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32

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4.21 avg rating — 288,180 ratings
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4.20 avg rating — 467,571 ratings
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34

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4.24 avg rating — 62,557 ratings
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37

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3.89 avg rating — 40,326 ratings
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38

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39

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4.18 avg rating — 93,687 ratings
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40

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4.41 avg rating — 1,350 ratings
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42

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43

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3.35 avg rating — 93 ratings
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45

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46

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48

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49

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49

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3.78 avg rating — 156,111 ratings
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51

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52

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55

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56

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58

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3.70 avg rating — 103,275 ratings
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4.02 avg rating — 179,534 ratings
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60

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3.85 avg rating — 149,472 ratings
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61

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61

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3.79 avg rating — 37,703 ratings
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63

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4.10 avg rating — 75,845 ratings
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65

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3.95 avg rating — 26,639 ratings
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66

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4.13 avg rating — 310,140 ratings
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66

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68

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3.81 avg rating — 7,438 ratings
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69

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4.21 avg rating — 62,693 ratings
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70

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71

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4.25 avg rating — 9,911 ratings
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72

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3.86 avg rating — 7 ratings
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72

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4.54 avg rating — 153 ratings
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72

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4.21 avg rating — 52,857 ratings
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72

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82

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82

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3.86 avg rating — 569 ratings
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86

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3.81 avg rating — 4,655 ratings
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87

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3.73 avg rating — 16,533 ratings
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88

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4.13 avg rating — 132,321 ratings
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3.90 avg rating — 2,884,167 ratings
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4.19 avg rating — 3,230 ratings
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92

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3.81 avg rating — 2,271 ratings
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4.19 avg rating — 1,896,622 ratings
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3.68 avg rating — 23,637 ratings
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95

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3.74 avg rating — 144,409 ratings
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96

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3.83 avg rating — 75,378 ratings
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4.14 avg rating — 25,961 ratings
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3.90 avg rating — 2,856 ratings
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3.83 avg rating — 89,567 ratings
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3.88 avg rating — 64,397 ratings
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455 books · 347 voters · list created October 28th, 2010 by deleted user.
71 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


fran 2181 books
45 friends
Susanna - Censored by GoodReads 3388 books
851 friends
Sara 610 books
84 friends
Nicolle 1066 books
425 friends
Bebe 225 books
0 friends
Bianca 3 books
18 friends
Jude 10285 books
113 friends
Renee 522 books
113 friends

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Comments Showing 1-13 of 13 (13 new)

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Susanna - Censored by GoodReads Don't believe The Grapes of Wrath is historical fiction.


message 2: by Melodie (new)

Melodie Ramone I just wanted to make a quick note to say that the book I wrote, After Forever Ends, isn't American Historical Fiction, as it takes place in Wales. I absolutely appreciate all the votes and I love everybody who thought highly enough of AFE to vote for it, but I don't want anybody to be misled who hasn't read it. And that being said...happy reading! Xx


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads Y'all want me to remove that one?


message 4: by Melodie (last edited Jun 22, 2013 11:35AM) (new)

Melodie Ramone Sure, if you are able. Like I said, I appreciate it being voted for, but it doesn't belong here. I' don't want anybody to pick up the book and be disappointed. And it's really not fair to the authors in the genre :)


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads No problem. It should be gone now.


message 6: by Melodie (new)

Melodie Ramone Thank you!


message 7: by Mary (new)

Mary I am officially shunning American Girl because the company funds abortion!


message 8: by J. (new)

J. Trott A lot of these books are older books that were written as basically contemporary such as "The Grapes of Wrath" and "The Bluest Eye". Even though they are good I can't vote for them. I found this list looking for historical fiction.


BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) J. wrote: "A lot of these books are older books that were written as basically contemporary such as "The Grapes of Wrath" and "The Bluest Eye". ..."

I'd been wondering about those two myself as well.


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads I wouldn't call them historical fiction, either. (They were contemporary with when they were written.)

Should I remove them?


message 11: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Aug 17, 2018 07:50AM) (new)

BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) Booklovinglady wrote: "J. wrote: "A lot of these books are older books that were written as basically contemporary such as "The Grapes of Wrath" and "The Bluest Eye". ..."

I'd been wondering about those two myself as well."


Seems more and more titles are creeping in that personally I do not consider historical fiction, as they were written during the time their story is set in (or shortly afterwards)...


message 12: by Dara S. (new)

Dara S. I would not call Where the Crawdads Sing historical fiction. It is a wonderful book and takes place in the past, but not historical fiction.


message 13: by Shannon (new)

Shannon Susanna - Censored by GoodReads wrote: "I wouldn't call them historical fiction, either. (They were contemporary with when they were written.)

Should I remove them?"


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads wrote: "I wouldn't call them historical fiction, either. (They were contemporary with when they were written.)

Should I remove them?"

Any book that takes place before you were born, and also teaches a person anything that happened in the past should be on the list. I did not live thru the great depression, so Grapes of Wrath takes me to that historical time.


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