Best Historical Fiction Books Adapted Into Movies and TV Shows

(Novel: 2014, Adaptation: 2017)

18-year-old Nella arrives in Amsterdam to live with her new husband, Johannes. She is dismayed to find he is often away, leaving her with just his spiky sister, their two staff, and her pet parakeet, Peebo, for company. To cheer Nella up, Johannes presents her with a cabinet-sized replica of their home as a wedding gift, which she begins to furnish with the help of a local miniaturist. But soon, Nella discovers her new home is filled with secrets and finds herself embroiled in Amsterdam’s dark underbelly. What’s more, it seems the enigmatic miniaturist knows all their secrets. But will she be their salvation or their undoing?

A mesmerising tale that keeps you guessing, this is one of my favourite books of all time. And I loved the adaptation, with Anya Taylor-Joy as Nella, which remains faithful to the book. 

(Novel: 2020, Adaptation: 2025)

Hamnet is another of my all-time favourite books, so I had been eagerly awaiting its recent adaptation. It didn’t disappoint, sweeping the awards and winning Jessie Buckley the Oscar for Best Actress.

The book retells the story of the tragic events that touched Shakespeare’s family in 1596 and inspired a masterpiece. Agnes and Will meet and fall in love when he is a young Latin tutor with nothing to his name. They marry, have children, and Will begins to write and publish his plays, eventually moving to London while his family remain in Stratford-upon-Avon. Then one day, their youngest daughter is taken to her bed with a sudden fever. Her twin brother, Hamnet, searches for help but can’t find anyone. Later, he climbs into bed to comfort her. He won’t survive the week.

A rich tapestry of love, family, art and grief, I highly recommend both the book and the film. Just get your tissues ready.

(Novel: 2019, Adaptation: 2023)

A story about the ugly celebrity, fame, wealth and success, chronicles the rise and fall of the eponymous rock band. I listened to the audiobook of this one and its “mockumentary” style was enhanced by listening to the story, Taylor Jenkins Reid’s magnificent storytelling combined with excellent performances from the narrators to give it an authentic feel and transport me back to the seventies.

It felt authentic and I had to remind myself I was listening to work of fiction. The adaptation is also worth a watch, with great performances from Riley Keough and Sam Claflin that allow us to live every heady and heartbreaking moment alongside the band. 

(Novel: 2016, Adaptation: 2022)

This one had been on my shelf for years when I finally read it recently. It tells the story of Lib Wright, who travels to Ireland to work as a private nurse for the O’Donnell family. She is there to observe their eleven-year-old daughter, Anna, who claims not to have eaten a morsel of food for four months. Anna’s family are sure she’s been blessed by God. A wonder. Lib is sure it’s all a hoax. But who is right?

A story steeped in folklore, religion, trauma and suspicion, I could not figure this one out and was left reeling when the truth was finally revealed. This one was adapted in 2022 with Florence Pugh playing Lib and I can’t wait to watch. 

(Book: 2019, Adaptation: 2023)

London, 1850. Aspiring artist Iris has a chance meeting with taxidermist Silas while watching The Great Exhibition being built in Hyde Park. For Iris it is a forgettable encounter, but for Silas it is a new beginning. As Iris goes about life, working as a model for a Pre-Raphaelite artist and learning how to paint, she is unaware that Silas lurks in the shadows watching her every move. And his obsession is darkening. This intoxicating story was one of my top reads of 2018 and I loved the six-part adaptation.

(Novel: 2013, Adaptation: 2022)

This mesmerising and unusual story follows Ursula Tood. It starts during a snowstorm in England in 1910 when she is born and dies before taking her first breath. In her next life, she lives. And so begins a constant cycle where she relives her life through the tumultuous events of the early 20th Century again and again.

I read this book in 2018 and it has stayed with me, haunting my thoughts on a regular basis. I highly recommend adding it to your TBR. It was adapted in 2022 and the series is on my watchlist but I know it has received critical acclaim.