[Ginga-argentina] This month’s best new historical fiction

Fri Feb 13 23:13:54 CET 2026

Readworthy by BookBub

This Month’s Best New Historical Fiction

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Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson

In postwar Germany, Ethel will stop at nothing to help a group of abandoned orphans

- From the author of Reese’s Book Club pick <i>The House of Eve</i>, “one of our preeminent historical fiction writers in America” (Adriana Trigiani)

- Ethel discovers an orphanage filled with the mixed-race children of German women and Black American GIs — and soon, her story intertwines with those of a soldier in 1948 and a boarding school student in 1965

- “A sweeping and immersive tale of courage, hope, and the search for belonging across borders and generations” (Christina Baker Kline, author of <i>Orphan Train</i>)

Media Praise: Book of the Month, TODAY Show, Parade, Indie Next List, Library Reads, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist

Buy Now:
Amazon
https://r.bookbub.com/et_active_check/6303?affiliate_variant=readworthy-email&mailing_id=120200&promotion_type=readworthy&retailer_book_format_id=1&retailer_id=1&subscriber_id=28036206

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Women of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna Everhart

‘A brutal but unforgettable read’ (<i>Library Journal</i>) with strong women characters at its heart

- In 1940s North Carolina, Ruth is accused of promiscuity and incarcerated at the State Industrial Farm Colony for Women, where prisoners face solitary confinement and grueling work conditions. But some are determined to fight back…

- Lisa Wingate raves, “Book clubs will find themselves discussing <i>Women of a Promiscuous Nature</i> late into the night”

- Based on the long-buried history of a 20th-century government program known as of the American Plan

- From the author of <i>The Saints of Swallow Hill</i>

Media Praise: Indie Next List, Library Reads, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Literary Hub

Buy Now:
Amazon
https://r.bookbub.com/et_active_check/6301?affiliate_variant=readworthy-email&mailing_id=120200&promotion_type=readworthy&retailer_book_format_id=1&retailer_id=1&subscriber_id=28036206

Learn More:
https://www.bookbub.com/readworthy/books/women-of-a-promiscuous-nature-by-donna-everhart?granted_at=2026-02-13&htoken=e2758aac93a716ac1e76ac00664467f35fcf569d35c6ebd05daaf1f066a9cbc1&key=28036206&mid=1-120200-28036206&readworthy_edition_id=603&var=readworthy-email

The Seven Daughters of Dupree by Nikesha Elise Williams

Follow seven generations of Dupree women as they face love, loss, and family secrets

- This sweeping epic “deserves to be not only read, but celebrated” (Elizabeth Gilbert)

- “Outstanding… This page-turning novel will have readers rooting for all the Dupree women, right to the gasp-worthy, unforgettable end” (<i>Library Journal</i> starred review)

- A must-read for fans of <i>Homegoing</i> by Yaa Gyasi

Media Praise: TODAY Show, People, USA Today, Essence, The Times, Indie Next List, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Electric Literature

Buy Now:
Amazon
https://r.bookbub.com/et_active_check/6555?affiliate_variant=readworthy-email&mailing_id=120200&promotion_type=readworthy&retailer_book_format_id=1&retailer_id=1&subscriber_id=28036206

Learn More:
https://www.bookbub.com/readworthy/books/the-seven-daughters-of-dupree-by-nikesha-elise-williams-2026-01-29?granted_at=2026-02-13&htoken=e2758aac93a716ac1e76ac00664467f35fcf569d35c6ebd05daaf1f066a9cbc1&key=28036206&mid=1-120200-28036206&readworthy_edition_id=603&var=readworthy-email

The Wandering Queen by Claire Heywood

An ill-fated queen takes center stage in this triumphant take on Greek legend

- “Equal parts empowering and heartbreaking… Recommended for fans of the mythological retellings of Madeline Miller and Pat Barker” (<i>Library Journal</i>)

- Cast out of her kingdom, princess Elissa carves her own path to become a powerful leader in a faraway land — but a mysterious stranger’s arrival upends everything

- “With an adept and expert hand, Dido is painted as a complex, strong heroine in a story she has long deserved” (Claire M. Andrews, author of <i>Daughter of Sparta</i>)

Media Praise: Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist

Buy Now:
Amazon
https://r.bookbub.com/et_active_check/6380?affiliate_variant=readworthy-email&mailing_id=120200&promotion_type=readworthy&retailer_book_format_id=1&retailer_id=1&subscriber_id=28036206

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https://www.bookbub.com/readworthy/books/the-wandering-queen-by-claire-heywood-2026-02-13?granted_at=2026-02-13&htoken=e2758aac93a716ac1e76ac00664467f35fcf569d35c6ebd05daaf1f066a9cbc1&key=28036206&mid=1-120200-28036206&readworthy_edition_id=603&var=readworthy-email

Rules of the Heart by Janice Hadlow

‘A sweeping and gorgeous tear-jerker’ (<i>Publishers Weekly</i>) set in 18th-century England

- Penned by the author of <i>The Other Bennet Sister</i>, which was recently adapted into a BBC show!

- When thirtysomething Lady Harriet Bessborough meets Lord Granville — a handsome and charming man 12 years her junior — she finds her life upended by all-consuming passion

- “Fans of well-researched historical fiction will be transfixed” (<i>Booklist</i>) 

- Inspired by a real-life love affair

Media Praise: Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Publishers Weekly, Booklist

Buy Now:
Amazon
https://r.bookbub.com/et_active_check/6379?affiliate_variant=readworthy-email&mailing_id=120200&promotion_type=readworthy&retailer_book_format_id=1&retailer_id=1&subscriber_id=28036206

Learn More:
https://www.bookbub.com/readworthy/books/rules-of-the-heart-by-janice-hadlow-2024-12-16?granted_at=2026-02-13&htoken=e2758aac93a716ac1e76ac00664467f35fcf569d35c6ebd05daaf1f066a9cbc1&key=28036206&mid=1-120200-28036206&readworthy_edition_id=603&var=readworthy-email

Fireflies in Winter by Eleanor Shearer

See why Kate Quinn calls this ‘simply luminous’ read ‘a book to treasure’

- Two Black women — orphan Cora and runaway Agnes — collide as they fight to survive amid the wilderness of 18th-century Nova Scotia

- “Powerful storytelling” (<i>Booklist</i>) from the author of <i>GMA</i> Book Club pick <i>River Sing Me Home</i>

- Shines a light on the little-known history of the Jamaican Maroons, who were forcibly exiled to Canada by British colonial authorities

Media Praise: People, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, Literary Hub

Buy Now:
Amazon
https://r.bookbub.com/et_active_check/6326?affiliate_variant=readworthy-email&mailing_id=120200&promotion_type=readworthy&retailer_book_format_id=1&retailer_id=1&subscriber_id=28036206

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https://www.bookbub.com/readworthy/books/fireflies-in-winter-by-eleanor-shearer?granted_at=2026-02-13&htoken=e2758aac93a716ac1e76ac00664467f35fcf569d35c6ebd05daaf1f066a9cbc1&key=28036206&mid=1-120200-28036206&readworthy_edition_id=603&var=readworthy-email

The Sea Child by Linda Wilgus

You’ll be swept away by this evocative novel that ‘stands out from the pack’ (<i>Publishers Weekly</i>)

- Recently widowed Isabel returns to the Cornish coastal village where she was found as a child — and when a band of smugglers approaches her cottage with their wounded captain in tow, her life transforms

- Will transport readers to an 1800s England steeped in atmosphere, adventure, and folklore

- One of <i>The Washington Post</i>’s best books of January

Media Praise: Locus, The Washington Post, Publishers Weekly

Buy Now:
Amazon
https://r.bookbub.com/et_active_check/6383?affiliate_variant=readworthy-email&mailing_id=120200&promotion_type=readworthy&retailer_book_format_id=1&retailer_id=1&subscriber_id=28036206

Learn More:
https://www.bookbub.com/readworthy/books/the-sea-child-by-linda-wilgus?granted_at=2026-02-13&htoken=e2758aac93a716ac1e76ac00664467f35fcf569d35c6ebd05daaf1f066a9cbc1&key=28036206&mid=1-120200-28036206&readworthy_edition_id=603&var=readworthy-email

Burn Down Master’s House by Clay Cane

An instant <i>New York Times</i> bestseller inspired by true stories

- Across the American South, enslaved people experience the spark of rebellion — and stoke the fire of resistance

- “Bold and unflinching… A powerful fiction debut that demands to be read” (Angie Thomas, author of <i>The Hate U Give</i>)

- Penned by an award-winning journalist hailed as “a naturally gifted storyteller” (<i>New York Times</i> bestselling author Keith Boykin)

Media Praise: Essence, Publishers Weekly

Buy Now:
Amazon
https://r.bookbub.com/et_active_check/6302?affiliate_variant=readworthy-email&mailing_id=120200&promotion_type=readworthy&retailer_book_format_id=1&retailer_id=1&subscriber_id=28036206

Learn More:
https://www.bookbub.com/readworthy/books/burn-down-master-s-house-by-clay-cane?granted_at=2026-02-13&htoken=e2758aac93a716ac1e76ac00664467f35fcf569d35c6ebd05daaf1f066a9cbc1&key=28036206&mid=1-120200-28036206&readworthy_edition_id=603&var=readworthy-email

With Love from Harlem by ReShonda Tate Billingsley

A sparkling novel from an author who counts Pam Jenoff and Marie Benedict among her fans

- “Tate blends fact and fiction with elegance… A captivating, emotionally resonant portrait of a singular woman who refused to be diminished” (<i>Library Journal</i>)

- Uncover the story of legendary Harlem jazz musician Hazel Scott — and the turbulent, decades-long relationship with a politician that changed the course of her life

- Features appearances from 20th-century icons like James Baldwin and Billie Holiday

Media Praise: Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal

Buy Now:
Amazon
https://r.bookbub.com/et_active_check/6573?affiliate_variant=readworthy-email&mailing_id=120200&promotion_type=readworthy&retailer_book_format_id=1&retailer_id=1&subscriber_id=28036206

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When We Were Brilliant by Lynn Cullen

Discover the unlikely friendship between Marilyn Monroe and fierce photographer Eve Arnold

- Glowing reviews from Pam Jenoff, Allison Pataki, and Kate Quinn, who says, “<i>When We Were Brilliant</i> is quite simply brilliant”

- In 1952, Norma Jeane Baker proposes a deal to documentary photographer Eve: She wants Eve to take pictures of Marilyn Monroe. And as the ambitious starlet rises to fame, both of their worlds transform 

- “A must-read for fans of Monroe who want an empathetic imagining of her life” (<i>Booklist</i>)

Media Praise: Entertainment Weekly, People, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Library Journal, Booklist

Buy Now:
Amazon
https://r.bookbub.com/et_active_check/6382?affiliate_variant=readworthy-email&mailing_id=120200&promotion_type=readworthy&retailer_book_format_id=1&retailer_id=1&subscriber_id=28036206

Learn More:
https://www.bookbub.com/readworthy/books/when-we-were-brilliant-by-lynn-cullen?granted_at=2026-02-13&htoken=e2758aac93a716ac1e76ac00664467f35fcf569d35c6ebd05daaf1f066a9cbc1&key=28036206&mid=1-120200-28036206&readworthy_edition_id=603&var=readworthy-email

The Johnson Four by Christina Hammonds Reed

As a family of musicians seeks fame, they’re haunted by a ghost from the past

- A <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author “pulls at the reader’s heartstrings” (<i>Publishers Weekly</i>) in this gripping historical read

- During the 1960s, Odysseus Johnson dreams of stardom for his three sons — but when they cross paths with the ghost of an orphan, their lives are upended in ways they could have never imagined

- “Epic and immersive… with a cast of characters who kept me alternately laughing and stressed through the rhythms of their lives” (Dawnie Walton, author of <i>The Final Revival of Opal & Nev</i>)

Media Praise: Locus, People, Publishers Weekly

Buy Now:
Amazon
https://r.bookbub.com/et_active_check/6381?affiliate_variant=readworthy-email&mailing_id=120200&promotion_type=readworthy&retailer_book_format_id=1&retailer_id=1&subscriber_id=28036206

Learn More:
https://www.bookbub.com/readworthy/books/the-johnson-four-by-christina-hammonds-reed?granted_at=2026-02-13&htoken=e2758aac93a716ac1e76ac00664467f35fcf569d35c6ebd05daaf1f066a9cbc1&key=28036206&mid=1-120200-28036206&readworthy_edition_id=603&var=readworthy-email

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Discover more Readworthy recommendations:
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