6 Historical Fiction Books That Turn Real Lives Legendary

The first book I always recommend about real people is the masterpiece Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell. This novel offers a fresh perspective on Shakespeare’s greatest personal tragedy: the death of his son, Hamnet, from the plague in 1596. It was a tragedy that led to the creation of one of his best-known plays, Hamlet.

Fact is merged with fiction to create a rich tapestry of a novel from the little-known facts of Hamnet and his family. It is a deeply personal story that shows us these infamous figures in a way we have never seen them before.

Moving between timelines and characters, the story follows events up to Hamnet’s tragic death and then follows the family afterwards as they try to come to terms with their heartbreak. Now is the perfect time to read this book as the trailer for the movie - which looks fantastic - has just been released.

Darkly atmospheric, decadent, eerie, and alluring, Dangerous is a seductive slice of gothic Victoriana about the life of another famous writer, the charismatic Lord Byron, reimagining his time living in exile in Venice.

It’s 1818, and Byron has been enjoying all of the delights that the city had to offer. But his refuge is threatened when Byron becomes embroiled in a scandal associated with the brutal deaths of two local women who had wounds to their throats. When a novel called The Vampyre is then published under his name, rumours quickly spread that Byron is the killer. Determined to clear his name, Byron begins his own investigation, taking him into the dark underbelly of Venice that lies behind its glamorous facade.

A memorable story about a fascinating figure, this historical novel is full of dark deeds, depravity and danger.

In 1887, 19-year-old Nelly Bly came to New York to try and make her name as a journalist. At that time, reporting was seen as a job for men, so this was going to be no easy feat. In order to secure her dream job, Nelly comes up with a daring idea: faking insanity and being committed to the asylum on Blackwell’s Island. Her plan is to go undercover to unearth the truth behind the rumours of mistreatment and expose them once and for all.

Nelly was a courageous young woman and her story is one not to be missed. Louisa Treger’s meticulous research, exquisite prose and evocative imagery brings this story to life, making us feel the horrors Nelly experienced at the asylum and her fear that she might never escape.

We’ve all heard of Catherine the Great, the first Tsarina of all the Russias. But how much do we really know about her story? I certainly didn’t know a lot about her until I read this book.

It is a rags-to-riches story of power, lust, sex, murder and betrayal. It’s a story that would seem far-fetched if every word wasn’t based in fact, with just a few liberties taken surrounding Catherine’s early life as there are few details about that time.

After reading this book I found it unimaginable that Catherine’s story has been forgotten for so long and have been trying to get it into as many hands as possible ever since.

This book is a little different as it is a fictionalized account of the life of Madame Tussaud. The story follows Marie, a tiny and odd-looking girl who is apprenticed to an eccentric wax sculptor. While living in Paris, they convert an abandoned monkey house into an exhibition hall for wax heads which becomes a sensation. Word of Marie’s talent even spreads to Versailles, and she is called to tutor the princess. But outside the palace walls a revolution is taking place, putting all their lives in danger.

Not only is this a mesmerizing story, but it is an experience. Inside the book are stunning illustrations by the author that bring the whole story to life in vivid detail. A book you are guaranteed not to forget.

Kate Foster has now written three phenomenal books based on real characters. I’ve chosen to include my favourite in this list, which is also her most recent novel.

Set in 18th Century Scotland, The Mourning Necklace is inspired by the real-life case of Maggie Dickson, also known as half-hanged Maggie, a Scottish woman who was charged with the murder of her baby and sentenced to hang for the crime, only to survive her sentence. I know that sentence made you immediately want to read this book. It did me! This book reimagines events leading up to her arrest and how she escaped death. It is an astonishing and powerful story about a woman who deserves to be remembered.