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The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo

A wonderful mix of folktale, mystery, romance and historical fiction, The Fox Wife (2024) checks all the boxes for a fascinating read. Set in China and Japan in the early 1900s, author Yangsze Choo brings to life the folklore of the fox spirits; beautiful young men and women who can transform into foxes, bewilder and trick people and feed off the life force of humans.

A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende

If you enjoy sweeping historical novels then you may want to dig into A Long Petal of the Sea (2020), one of the most recent books by the prolific Chilean-American author Isabel Allende. And if you especially appreciate books that shed light on dramatic past events less likely to be on our reading radar than, say, World War II, A Long Petal of the Sea just might be calling your name.

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates

It’s impossible to do justice to The Water Dancer (2019) in a book review. The story is powerful and haunting, the characters are expertly and thoughtfully portrayed throughout, and the time period and settings are drawn such that I felt that I was viewing the horrors of slavery on a Virginia plantation and experiencing the terrifying dangers of the flight to freedom.

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

If you enjoy dual narratives, flawed characters, and twisty plots, try The Lost Apothecary (2021) by Sarah Penner. Alternating between the late 18th century and contemporary London, the story is told from the perspectives of three women. In the 1790s, a secret apothecary shop caters to women seeking poisons to rid themselves of men who have wronged them.

A League of Nobleman

A League of Nobleman (2023) is a Chinese historical mystery TV series. It follows Zhang Ping, a poor orphan from the countryside who is making his living as a noodle seller in the capital while studying for the exam to become a government official. His dream is to someday join the Ministry of Justice and solve crimes. In the meantime, he has earned the nickname “Noodle Detective” through his efforts to solve minor everyday mysteries for his neighbors.