14 Historical Fiction Books About Real-Life Women

April 24, 2016

As originally published on BookBub: Some women loom large in the history books, while others slip through the cracks and are all-but-forgotten. The list we’ve complied below features novels about some of history’s most well-known female figures, along with others who might not sound so familiar. The only thing more amazing than these leading ladies is the fact that they are based on real people. Prepare to be dazzled, impressed, horrified, and heartbroken. Publishers’ descriptions are included below. To read the full article on BookBub, click here.

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Allison Pataki

Allison Pataki is a New York Times Bestselling author with a passion for telling the stories of leading ladies lost in history. Her debut novel, The Traitor’s Wife, came out in 2014 and her second novel, The Accidental Empress, came out in February 2015. Allison’s third New York Times Bestseller, Sisi: Empress on Her Own, hit shelves March 2016. In 2017 her fourth historical novel, Where the Light Falls, was published. Beauty in the Broken Places was released in 2019, a Memoir of Love, Faith, and Resilience. In May 2019 she published her first children’s book, Nelly Takes New York. Her fifth historical novel, The Queens Fortune, released February 2020 and her second children’s book, Poppy Takes Paris released May of 2020. Her instant bestseller The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post came out in early 2022. Her historical fiction novel, Finding Margaret Fuller published in March of 2024. Her latest novel, It Girl, inspired by the true story of America’s first female pop culture celebrity, will hit shelves in March of 2026.

It Girl

A sweeping, sensational novel of America’s first “It Girl,” whose dramatic journey to center stage echoes through the decades.

Finding Margaret Fuller

An epic reimagining of the life of Margaret Fuller – America’s forgotten leading lady and the central figure of a movement that defined a nation.

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