Allison Pataki is the New York Times bestselling author of The Traitors Wife and The Accidental Empress. She graduated Cum Laude from Yale University with a major in English and spent several years writing for TV and online news outlets. The daughter of former New York State Governor George E. Pataki, Allison is a regular contributor to Huffington Post and FoxNews.com, as well as a member of The Historical Novel Society. Allison lives in Chicago with her husband. To learn more and connect with Allison visit AllisonPataki.com or on Twitter @AllisonPataki.
The Queens of Crime (2025) Marie Benedict "Full of Benedict's richly textured language, complex moral questions and delicious historic detail, The Queens of Crime reads with the urgency of a mystery and the charm of a captivating, character-driven narrative -this is one to savor."
Follow Me to Africa (2025) Penny Haw "Which is the more beautifully dangerous adventure: stalking a cheetah across the plains of the Serengeti at night, or, following one's own defiant heart and leaping into a forbidden love that will alter everything one knows about the world? Penny Haw might say both, and her readers will say it's even better when the two are interwoven, as is the case with Follow Me to Africa. In her latest work of high-stakes biographical historical fiction, Haw transports readers from the East African bush to the lecture halls of academic London and back again. Haw has gifted readers with a textured and atmospheric ode to a bold woman who dared to blaze a new path for herself and the countless others who may now look to her story."
The Stolen Queen (2025) Fiona Davis "In her latest stunner, Fiona Davis sweeps readers from the sun-baked sands of Egypt to the inner sanctum of the Met Museum and a world full of art, intrigue, and heart-stopping secrets. While crafting a vivid picture of two fascinating eras, Davis also dives deeply into the vibrant inner worlds of her complex and compelling lead characters, Charlotte and Annie. Inspired by the unearthing of an incomparable ancient queen, this book solidifies Davis's place as a reigning queen of historical fiction, and a master storyteller at the height of her craft."
Napoleon's Mirage (2024) Michelle Cameron "Napoleon's Mirage picks up the thread of Cameron's epic tale of the tumult, romance, and volatility of the Napoleonic era. She sweeps readers from the quays of Toulon to the shimmering heat of the Egyptian desert with a transportive narrative of assiduous research and textured, vibrant language. To be immersed in the work of Michelle Cameron is to be treated to storytelling by a skilled and masterful hand of historical fiction."
What We Sacrifice for Magic (2024) Andrea Jo Dewerd "A high stakes coming-of-age story with a heroine you'll root for and a deep dive into one girl's dilemma over just what it means to wield her own power . . . This is an exuberant debut; Andrea Jo DeWerd writes with obvious love for her own craft, and readers will look forward to more from her."
Maria (2024) Michelle Moran "Readers, prepare to meet the real Maria, a complex and compelling leading lady who will both delight and surprise all who feel they already know the story of the fabled von Trapp family. Michelle Moran has delivered a gem of a novel, rich in historic detail, page-turning pacing, and lyrical, lush storytelling. As immersive, heartbreaking, and ultimately redemptive as the musical for which Maria von Trapp is so widely known and loved, this one is not to be missed. Brava!"
Jackie (2024) Dawn Tripp "Society Bride. Mother. Fashion Plate. First Lady. Saint. Curse. Jackie Kennedy Onassis has been assigned more labels than possibly any other woman in American history, occupying an incomparable status in the collective imagination and historical record. I relished each page of this gorgeous, poetic, and piercing journey into the depths of an iconic woman's heart, mind, and soul."
Husbands & Lovers (2024) Beatriz Williams "In the latest work by historical fiction master storyteller Beatriz Williams, two timelines breathlessly intertwine to form a tale full of passion, hope, and heartbreaking family secrets. As much a poignant and intimate examination of the human heart as a globe-trotting sweep of decades and wide-reaching locales, this one packs the sultry and stunning punch that readers of Williams have come to relish. You will feel the salty ocean air of Winthrop summer nights as you read, as well as the furious white heat of the roiling Cairo streets - and you'll savor every page of it."
The Evolution of Annabel Craig (2024) Lisa Grunwald "Beloved author Lisa Grunwald puts readers in the center of the real-life trial that divided a town and captivated a nation. Sensitive, poignant, and full of heart, this is a tale that feels both important and inevitable. We all studied the Scopes Trial in school, but Grunwald's retelling is stunningly timely and relevant for today."
The British Booksellers (2024) Kristy Cambron "Kristy Cambron has long delighted readers with her richly textured tales of epic historical episodes and the intimate, intricate workings of the human heart. In her latest work, THE BRITISH BOOKSELLERS, Cambron delivers yet again, with her powerful punch of assiduous research and skillful, lush storytelling. Sweeping across generations and both World Wars, this is a luminous ode to the soul's deep and indelible yearning for love, hope, and truth."
The Queen of the Platform (2024) Susan Higginbotham "Susan Higginbotham has a gift for telling the tales of strong women who stepped out from the shadows into which society's strictures would have cast them in order to make their indelible marks on history. . . . Weaving together sumptuous prose and groundbreaking research, Higginbotham delivers a read that is both empowering and important."
Becoming Madam Secretary (2024) Stephanie Dray "In her latest novel, Stephanie Dray brings the trailblazing and towering figure of Frances Perkins to life, delivering a read that includes more than half a century of stunning American history and a colorful cast of larger-than-life historical characters. With the tenderly poignant writing and impeccable research that her readers have come to expect and love, Dray has delivered a fresh and sweeping work of biographical fiction that readers will surely devour. This is an inspiring, illuminating and important book by Dray - I was blown away. Thank goodness Frances Perkins lived when she did; and thank goodness she said 'yes' to FDR's challenge of Becoming Madam Secretary."
The Stockwell Letters (2023) Jacqueline Friedland "An immervise work of fiction that plunges readers into one of the most fraught and urgent decades of American history."
Hotel Laguna (2023) Nicola Harrison "In Hotel Laguna, Nicola Harrison transports readers from the female-staffed factories of World War II to the sun-splashed beaches of southern California, plunging into one woman's daring journey to demand more for herself. With rich period detail and skillful consideration of a postwar society in flux, Harrison spins a tale of love, identity, and the hidden secrets of the art world. Nicola Harrison has a gift for crafting leading ladies full of heart and moxie, and readers will fall in love with Hazel."
The Golden Doves (2023) Martha Hall Kelly "The Golden Doves is breathtaking - both in the beauty of its language and the twists of its high-stakes plot."
Two Wars and a Wedding (2023) Lauren Willig "An inspiring ode to the indomitable strength of women and the fierce, indelible bonds of female friendship, a tale of she-roes that will make you both laugh and cry."
When We Had Wings (2022) Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner "When We Had Wings is a story of strength and sisterhood inspired by the little-known experiences of the 'Angels of Bataan.' With gorgeous language and stunning historic detail, Lawhon, McMorris, and Meissner plunge readers into the Philippines and the epic struggles of the Pacific. Filled with heart and pathos, this is a story of hope, faith, and the power of friendship in the face of indescribable hardship."
The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams (2022) M J Rose "An immersive journey filled with glittering gems, Nazis in Paris, and dark family secrets. But even more so, it is the many-faceted tale of true and inspiring heroism that proves as beautiful and unbreakable as a priceless diamond. Ravishing - M.J. Rose weaves a tantalizing tale of magic and mystery as only she can do, and readers will be transported."
Our Last Days in Barcelona (2022) (Cuba Saga, book 5) Chanel Cleeton "This sun-splashed story is one of longing, loyalty, and the many complicated ways in which we can love within a family.... Told with heart and beauty [it] is irresistible."
The Paris Bookseller (2022) Kerri Maher "The stunning and very human story of a beloved icon....Full of nuance and poignancy - this novel is gorgeous."
Her Heart for a Compass (2021) Sarah Ferguson "Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, has delivered to readers a brilliant and glittering jewel of a novel, replete with fascinating historical detail, lush lyrical language, and compelling, complex characters who leap from the page. I was wholly swept away by this story, wishing to race through its gripping plot while also lingering to relish each delicious page. This beautiful novel heralds the entry of Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, as the new leading voice in Historical Fiction."
A Woman of Intelligence (2021) Karin Tanabe "Tanabe has long delighted readers of historical fiction with her beautiful writing, compelling plots, and sumptuous historic details. In A Woman of Intelligence, she gives fans a heroine to root for in the strong, complex, and spirited Katharina Edgeworth. This is the story of a woman who dares to dream beyond the gilded cage and stifling social mores into which life has boxed her, and who proves the indelible power of women to change the world in the process."
Finding Napoleon (2021) Margaret Rodenberg "Napoleon Bonaparte’s life was an incredible, inspiring, and ultimately tragic epic. In Finding Napoleon, readers enter deep into both the beginning and the end of that exceptional drama as Margaret Rodenberg brings to life the inner circle of the ailing emperor as he spends his final years in exile on the remote island of St Helena. No one is more qualified to tell this sweeping tale than Margaret Rodenberg—her research is in a league of its own, and her writing is beautiful and poignant."
The Invisible Woman (2021) Erika Robuck "Erika Robuck has given readers a precious gift. Her heroine, Virginia Hall, was a singular figure whose true life story is the stuff of inspiration and legend--Nazi hunters, secret spy work from Paris to the Pyrenees, and epic feats of human goodness and bravery amid some of modern history's darkest moments. Robuck combines meticulous historical research with stunning prose and unforgettable characters to offer a book that is breathtakingly beautiful, and readers will not be able to put it down."
The Children's Blizzard (2021) Melanie Benjamin "In The Children’s Blizzard, Melanie Benjamin walks readers through the harrowing story of a stunning storm—one that took the lives of many and forever changed the lives of countless others. Benjamin has a gift for opening up and fleshing out her characters, giving readers unfettered access into their hearts and minds as they fight to survive, first on the punishing prairie lands they have decided to make home, and then during and after this historic tragedy. Beautiful and haunting, this is a story of ordinary people forced to face the most extraordinary of moments."
Glimmer As You Can (2020) Danielle Martin "Told against the historic backdrop of a time of great social change, and with colorful language and details, this is a timely and beautiful story of female friendship and strength, of the secrets we all carry behind our smiles, and the power to be found in a sisterhood of supportive women."
The First Actress (2020) C W Gortner "Sarah Bernhardt was a woman of fearless strength and awe-inspiring talent, both a living icon in her day and an unapologetic iconoclast. In his beautiful The First Actress, C. W. Gortner gives readers an intimate and rich portrait of Bernhardt's stunning career and tumultuous personal life. The Divine Sarah was a singular leading lady ahead of her time, winning devotees and breaking rules in order to demand more for artists and for women."
The Orphan's Song (2019) Lauren Kate "The Orphan's Song plunges the reader into the streets and canals of eighteenth-century Venice, where the world of Carnivale roils with music, love, and intrigue. Lauren Kate is a masterful storyteller, with a stunning command of her rich historical material and the ability to draw forth the beautiful and intimate songs of the human heart."
A Well Behaved Woman (2018) Therese Anne Fowler "To step into Therese Anne Fowler's stunning novel is to step into Alva Vanderbilt's rarefied world of sprawling homes, delicious society intrigue, and incomparable Gilded Age luxury. But there's so much more to this world than appearances would indicate--as Alva and the reader both learn. Fowler's heroine is drawn with care and complexity, a woman of exquisite taste and depth, and one who dares to dream beyond the stifling role which society has assigned her."
Marilla of Green Gables (2018) Sarah McCoy "Sarah McCoy has given readers a precious gift: the opportunity to step back into the world of Avonlea, and the chance to get to know Marilla Cuthbert as a leading lady in her own right. In McCoy's skillful and sensitive hands, Marilla emerges as a heroine of depth, complexity, and heart. I savored my time with this cast of old friends, enjoying the dilemma of whether to speed through these compelling pages or to pause and relish everything about the lovely world imagined within them."
Ecstasy (2018) Mary Sharratt "In Ecstasy, Mary Sharratt plunges the reader into the tumultuous and glamorous fin de siècle era, bringing to life its brilliant and beguiling leading lady. Finally, Alma Mahler takes center stage, surging to life as so much more than simply the female companion to the brilliant and famous men who loved her. Sharratt's portrait is poignant and nuanced, her novel brimming with rich historic detail and lush, evocative language."
The Magician's Lie (2015) Greer Macallister "The Magician's Lie is a rich tale of heart-stopping plot turns, glittering prose, and a cast of complex, compelling characters. Reader beware: those who enter Macallister's delicious world of magic and mystery won't wish to leave!"
