Top 5 Historical Fiction Books To Be Released On May 2025

Readers of historical literature can also have a better understanding of the past.  Using imaginary characters to retell history might help people feel a connection to the past.  Through the perspectives of characters, readers are able to better comprehend various historical times. 

 These historical fiction books are scheduled to be released in May 2025:

1. My Name Is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende

A young writer travels to South America to learn the truth about her father—and herself—in this captivating historical fiction book by the New York Times bestselling author of A Long Petal of the Sea and The Wind Knows My Name.  One of the greatest storytellers of our time, My Name is Emilia del Valle, presents a character who will capture your heart and hold it throughout this captivating narrative of love and self-discovery. Ballantine Books is anticipated to publish this book on May 6, 2025.

2. Austen at Sea by Natalie Jenner

Sir Francis Austen, Jane Austen's last living brother and the custodian of a long-suppressed, hidden bequest, and a trip to England change the lives of two sets of siblings who are her admirers.   With the transforming spirit of Jane Austen's and her love of reading, it's a journey and journey that will profoundly alter each of their lives in unexpected ways.  St. Martin's Press anticipates publishing this book on May 6, 2025.

3. The Butcher's Daughter: The Hitherto Untold Story of Mrs. Lovett by Corinne Leigh Clark and David Demchuk

Fans have been enthralled with the tale of the vindictive barber Sweeney Todd in literary, theatrical, and cinematic adaptations, but Mrs. Lovett, Todd's accomplice, has received little attention.  The Butcher's Daughter is an engrossing literary thriller that pulls heavily from historical sources and sheds fresh light on the lady behind the counter of the most infamous pie store ever known. It is a hair-raising and magnificent book for lovers of Sarah Waters and Gregory Maguire.  Hell's Hundred anticipates publishing this book on May 6, 2025.

4. Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder by Rachel McCarthy James

Through the crimes it has been used in since the first axe murder about half a million years ago, Whack Job tells the tale of the axe, initially as a practical threat and later as an anachronism. It  provides insightful facts about this well-known tool, the most human of weaponry.  The brutal and revered rituals of combat and execution, the methods in which mankind fits even the most primal urges into historical and contemporary narratives, and the manner in which technology influences human conflict are all critically examined in this work.  St. Martin's Press anticipates publishing this book on May 13, 2025.

5. The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly

This remarkable book, which is based on actual events, is written by the New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls. It tells the tale of two sisters who, while living on Martha's Vineyard during World War II, discover hope in the power of storytelling when they establish a wartime reading club for women.  Another gem from one of the greatest historical fiction authors, this novel is a beautiful beach read that is also tense.  Ballantine Books anticipates publishing this book on May 27, 2025.