Best Historical Fiction of 2013

by Siân Busby

A moody gem of a novel that gives moving testament to the exemplary talent that is Busby's lasting legacy. Full review >

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by Eleanor Catton

There’s a lovely payoff after the miles of twists and turns. It’s work getting there but work of a thoroughly pleasant kind. Full review >

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by Sarah Dunant

Dunant’s biggest and best work to date, this intelligently readable account of formative events and monster players has... Full review >

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by Elizabeth Graver

A lovely family portrait: elegiac yet contemporary, formal yet intimate. Full review >

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by Toni Jordan

A small treasure, from the author of the wonderful romantic comedy Addition (2009). Full review >

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by James McBride

McBride presents an interesting experiment in point of view here, as all of Brown’s activities are filtered through the eyes... Full review >

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by Alice McDermott

There is no high drama here, but Marie and Gabe are compelling in their basic goodness, as is McDermott’s elegy to a... Full review >

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by Joyce Carol Oates

Though it requires some work and has a wintry feel to it, it’s oddly entertaining, as a good supernatural yarn should be. Full review >

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by Jeremy Page

Page shapes a fascinating historical narrative and has moving insights into our sometimes-dubious relationship to the... Full review >

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by Jayne Anne Phillips

Phillips’ prose is as haunting as the questions she raises about the natures of sin, evil and grace. Full review >

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by Jeanette Winterson

An electrifying entertainment. Full review >

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by Daniel Woodrell

A commanding fable about trespass and reconstruction from a titan of Southern fiction. Full review >

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