Okay, this is the place to divulge your absolutely favourite historical fiction novels, authors, what you like about them--and where you get them from. I have two absolutely all-time HF favourites that I can't resist naming.

The Bronze Bow--Elizabeth George Speare (amazing author!)

The Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (which is very historical, but also awesomely fiction and kind of fantasy too )

And then of course there's Allen French's books and The Robe and... and ... and....

I find Bethlehem Books publishes great HF.

*adds to reading list *

I have to second everything Cassandra posted. Connecticut Yankee and a Bronze Bow are Amazing. The Robe and its sequel, The Big Fisherman, are both good, as well. (Although the Robe has a few theological implications to be careful of)

Other hist. Fiction books that are good, perhaps my all-time favorites, would be the Chronicles of Zion, and the prequel series the Zion Covenant, both by Bodie Theone (It's a prequel chronologically but is meant to be read afterwards. Yeah...). Those are very well written indeed, and are sort of what got me writing in the first place.

eru

Mmm... very true. And as it happens the theological implications are not only unbiblical, they just wouldn't work in practice. But I like how Mr. Douglas is able to bring history to life--making it seem almost modern.

A Connecticut Yankee is one of my favorite books.
I really don't like most historical fiction because I'm more in to the Historical without the fiction part. But I do enjoy the Henty books. And a few others I can't recall at the moment.

I love the Bronze Bow!
Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes. That has to be one of the best historical fiction books ever written.
Moccasin Trail by Eloise Jarvis McGraw. This was once my favorite book, but now I can't enjoy it as much because I've read it too often.
Les Miserables by Hugo of course.

Oh dear, you mustn't get me started. I could go on forever, but I have limited myself (painfully).

I enjoyed Johnny Tremain.

Cautionary note about Les Miserables.

It is very socialist, and not very theologically sound. It's also not particularly clean. However, the number of people who actually notice these things is surprisingly low, possibly due to the fact that most people read one of many abridged versions, not the rather daunting full length version.

Seconds!


*grins* I love Moccasin Trail. And though I haven't read it 'too often' I've read the Bronze Bow so often and so repeatedly none of it's a surprise any more. Same with the Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. I can practically quote it.

Mara, Daughter of the Nile; Moccasin Trail; The Golden Goblet... {can anyone tell I love Eloise Jarvis McGraw?}

I also enjoyed the de Granville trilogy by K.M. Grant. Do be warned, though, it had some heavier material not suitable for younger children. That author can pack in tension and conflict in amazing ways, at all different levels, from relational to military to romance to dark enemy far away. *end of rant - will post more on the Historical Fiction forum someday*

Arabian Nights, The Chosen {WWII-era}, ohhhh... I could really go on forever. But I'll stop now before my longing to read all these books again grows too strong!

*dives in*

The Bronze Bow was a pretty good read. I think I've read Johnny Tremain too, but it was a long time ago...

(Where do I begin? ) My favourite Historical fiction novels would have to include:
Janette Oke's Love Comes Softly series
Hadassah: One Night with the King by Tommy Tenney
The Silver Sword by Angela Hunt
Mara: Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
The Youngest Templar by Michael Spradlin

Those are all I can think of at the moment...

@Evenstar: I loved Mara: Daughter of the Nile! It has to be one of my all time favourite reads.

Oh, yes, definitely!! Ever since I first read it in about sixth grade for the week I was studying Ancient Egypt... I can't go too long without reading it. I'd go into Mara deprivation

I had to read it for school... and was only allowed to read a few chapters a day... I read ahead. I went so far to take it to a friend's place and sit in the corner and read it. I couldn't put it down!

Mara is wonderful.

I totally agree. It has wacky philosophy that I did not agree with and was aware of when I read it when I was thirteen. I read the full length version mostly just so I could say I read the whole thing, and I basically just slogged through all the boring material. And the romance was stupid.
However, it has a beautiful redemption message. The most recent movie with Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush, though not faithful to the book, is, according to Hollywood Worldviews by Brian Godawa "one of the most robust stories of Christian redemption ever allowed to grace the cinema".

I really liked "The Last of the Mohicans."
I need to read some more Cooper...

Pearl Maiden and King Solomon's Mines by Haggard are really good. Pearl Maiden being a little better in my opinion.

I don't really care for historical fiction, but I might try some Cooper and some historical war novels.

I enjoy some G. A Henty, but only some not all of them.

I really like Loyal Hearts and True by Evelyn Everett-Green.

I also like all of S. J. Sansom's books. They are based around the time of Henry the eighth.

I love:
Love Comes Softly series by Janette Oke
Seasons of the Heart series by Janette Oke
Return to Harmony by Janette Oke
The Royal Diaries by various authors

Hmm. I'll probably post here again, because I can't think of all of them.

I love that book!

Love that book! Bronze bow is really good!

Some more good ones are...
Treasure Island (sometimes it seems a tad young, but it's a good book!)
Sense and Sensibility (the whole "Hath whence 'tis 'twas" stuff is at times hard to read... but also very fun!)
(Pretty much all Jane Austen is good!)

Cat of Bubastes G.A Henty (I can't seem to remember how to spell that...)

I don't think that would be considered historical fiction, since it is not set within any historical event.

I said it elsewhere, but I loved In the Reign of Terror.

Hmm... true... *blinks twice*
O.o
I wonder what it is then...

It's adventure.

Aha! Well then; thank you Joe!

I really like historical fiction. More than like. More than love. Maybe adore would work better? I really like history and I adore historical fiction. I write historical fiction too. But anyway, some of my favorites are:

The Dear Canada series by various authors. My favorites would be To Stand on My Own by Barbara Haworth-Attard, A Trail of Broken Dreams by the same author, Orphan at my Door by Jean Little, and No Safe Harbor by Julie Lawson.

And also The Cage by Ruth Minsky Sender was a very good read. I had trouble putting it down. The Cage was sad, but oh-so-good.

I don't think anyone has mentioned 'Kim' by Rudyard Kipling - that's an excellent book. I also second the recommendation for Jane Austen: P&P and Emma especially.

eru

Currently, I'm reading Carry on, Mr. Bowditch. It's so sad.

Never heard of it before. Who's it by?

Is that the one by G. A. Henty?

Johnny Tremain and The Bronze Bow are excellent. In my opinion, Carry On, Mr. Bowditch gets much better as you read it... I know I liked it significantly more the second time.

Has anyone read The Fiddler's Gun and Fiddler's Green by A. S. Peterson? They are really good; however, there's a significant amount of language and the second book was, um, too "gory" in some places for my taste. I skipped a few sections, so I'd definitely count them as YA in the least. The character development was fantastic and the dry humor was excellent. I was emotionally engaged with them, if being furious that the author killed off some of my favorite characters counts as emotional attachment. There are some sections that make me want to cry and smile because I understand, I get it. Sometimes it's because the author has hit onto something that I struggle to put into words, and it is breathtaking.

It's so sad. (Spoiler Warning) Everyone is dying in his family.

Historical fiction is the bulk of what I read, to be honest. I find it's a lot easier to read without controversial subjects popping up.

A list I will reinforce others with and some of my own added:

-Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (it's the only one I've read by her so far)
-The Cat of Bubastes: A Tale of Ancient Egypt by G.A. Henty
-Carry On Mr. Boditich by Jean Lee Latham
-Mara: Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
-The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Some others I enjoyed:

-The Last Hittite by Joanne Williamson
-Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
-Nobody's Princess by Esther M. Friesner
-Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
-Witch Child by Celia Rees
-The Legend f Lady Ilena by Patricia Malone
-Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher
-The Queens Soprano by Carol Dines
-Sister to the Wolf by Maxine Trottier
-Bloody Jack series by L.A. Meyer
-Sovay by Celia Rees

That's all I can think of at the moment. I lost my book spreadsheet I was keeping of all the books I've read when my computer died once. -_- Otherwise I'd have more, but I think I got off to a good start on my list. *most likely overdid it*

~Calen

I loved Carry On, Mr Bowditch, Emmalina! And you're right, it is very sad. What an amazing person he is, though.

Calen, those all look like good books *adds some to reading list*

eru

Funny... I love historical fiction, but I can only think of two of my favorites right now.
Mara: Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw (This seems to be rather popular. And here I was thinking I was the only one who enjoyed a school book. )
The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson (I'm usually not fond of romances, but when it comes to a retelling of a fairytale...)

You know you're on a homeschool forum when everyone's read that book (Not that's a bad thing or anything)

eru

Yes.. I've read Mara too...

Anyone here like Rosemary Sutcliffe's books?
Ben Hur?
Shadow Hawk by Andre Norton?
The Second Mrs. Giaconda?
Allen French's books?

I've read Ben Hur! Awesome stuff.

I love the book of Ben Hur!!

Only like a couple, but here they are: Dear Americas or My Americas, but my favorite is Early Sunday Morning. I also like King of the Wind, Justin Morgan had a Horse, and Misty of Chincoteague. That's all I can think of for now.

Ooh! I love Misty!

Hmm... Anyone read The Spy by James Fenimore Cooper? It starts out a bit "slow", but it's excellent.

I'm currently reading Captain's Courageous by Rudyard Kipling - so far it's winding up an excellent historical fiction novel

eru

Ooh! That's a good one! Kidnapped is excellent too.

Alright! I'm going to read Kidnapped and Captain Courageous very soon, so at least I know they are good!

I never really got into Captain Courageous, by Rudyard Kipling is certainly an awesome author. His name alone makes me like him.

I read Daughter of the Nile and loved it!

I've read those too! I own King of the Wind, and I've read all the Misty books.

Agreed.