Historical Audiobooks | Fiction

Val Wood (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

"From bestselling author Meagan Church comes a haunting exploration of identity, motherhood, and the suffocating grip of societal expectations that will leave you questioning the lives we build--and the lies we live. They called it hysteria. She called it survival. Lulu Mayfield has spent the last five years molding herself into the perfect 1950s housewife. Despite the tragic memories that haunt her and the weight of exhausting expectations, she keeps her husband happy, her household running, and her gelatin salads the talk of the neighborhood. But after she gives birth to her second child, Lulu's carefully crafted life begins to unravel. When a new neighbor, Bitsy, moves in, Lulu suspects that something darker lurks behind the woman's constant smile. As her fixation on Bitsy deepens, Lulu is drawn into a web of unsettling truths that threaten to expose the cracks in her own life. The more she uncovers about Bitsy, the more she questions everything she thought she knew--and soon, others begin questioning her sanity. But is Lulu truly losing her mind? Or is she on the verge of discovering a reality too terrifying to accept? In the vein of The Bell Jar and The Hours, The Mad Wife weaves domestic drama with psychological suspense, so poignant and immersive, you won't want to put it down."

Meagan Church (Author), Susan Bennett (Narrator)

Audiobook

Cry Havoc: The unmissable new Tom Reece thriller from New York Times bestselling author of The Termi

"Forged in blood, this is how legends begin. . . From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Jack Carr brings the worlds of special operations and CIA paramilitary units into direct collision in the jungles of Vietnam with his explosive new thriller introducing young Navy SEAL Tom Reece. 'Jack Carr is the real deal' Andy McNab 'Seriously good. I mean – seriously' Lee Child 'With a particular line in authentic tradecraft, this fabulously unrelenting thrill-ride was a struggle to put down' Mark Dawson 1968. A time of division. A time of civil unrest. A time of war. Tom Reece, a SEAL operator attached to the highly classified and shadowy MACV-SOG, is about to be thrust into a bloody battle. A spy ship, the USS Pueblo, is captured by communist forces off the coast of North Korea. The crew thought they had destroyed everything of intelligence value. They were wrong. As teams of special operators infiltrating into Laos, Cambodia, and North Vietnam disappear without a trace, an ambitious Soviet advisor launches an ingenious plan with consequences that reach far beyond the battlefields of Southeast Asia, one that will forever alter the world balance of power. From the Kremlin to the White House, from the streets of Saigon to the rugged A Shau Valley, along the paths of Ho Chi Minh Trail and into the secret war in Laos, Tom Reece has an official mission assigned by Military Assistance Command, Vietnam-Studies and Observations Group, but it's his unofficial mission that might get him killed. "

Jack Carr (Author), Ray Porter (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Maroons

"Frême is a young African man forced into slavery on Réunion, an island east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Plagued by memories of his childhood sweetheart, a white woman named Marie, Frême seeks her out—but when they are persecuted for their love, the two flee into the forest. There they meet other 'maroons': formerly enslaved people and courageous rebels who have chosen freedom at the risk of their lives. Now available in English for the first time, The Maroons highlights slavery's abject conditions under the French empire, and attests to the widespread phenomenon of enslaved people escaping captivity to forge a new life beyond the reach of so-called 'civilization.' Banned by colonial authorities at the time of its publication in 1844, the book fell into obscurity for over a century before its rediscovery in the 1970s. Since its first reissue, the novel has been recognized for its extraordinary historical significance and literary quality. Presented here in a sensitive translation by Aqiil Gopee with Jeffrey Diteman, and with a keen introduction by journalist and author Shenaz Patel, The Maroons is a vital resource for rethinking the nineteenth-century canon, and a fascinating account of the struggle for freedom and social justice."

Louis Timagène Houat (Author), Jaime Lincoln Smith (Narrator)

Audiobook

Narrow the Road: A Novel

"In this gripping coming-of-age odyssey, a young man’s quest to reunite his family takes him on a life-altering journey through the wilds of 1930s East Texas, where both danger and opportunity grow as thick as the pines. With his father missing and his mother gravely ill, William Carter is struggling to keep his family’s cotton farm afloat in the face of drought and foreclosure. As his options wane, William receives a mysterious letter that claims to know his father’s whereabouts. Together with his best friend Ollie, a mortician in training, William sets out to find his father and bring him home to set things right. But before the boys can complete their quest, they must navigate the labyrinth of the Big Thicket, some of the country’s most uncharted, untamed land. Along the way they encounter eccentric backwoods characters of every order, running afoul of murderers, bootleggers, and even the legendary Bonnie and Clyde. But the danger is doubled when the boys agree to take on a medicine show runaway named Lena, eliciting the ire of the show’s leader, the nefarious con man Doctor Downtain. As William, Ollie, and Lena race to uncover the clues and find William’s father, Downtain is closing in on them, readying to make good on his violent reputation. With the clock ticking, William must decide where his loyalties lie and how far he’s willing to go for the people he loves. From award-winning author James Wade, Narrow the Road is a riveting exploration of a young man’s hard-won coming-of-age and the courageous ways a person can forge a singular path in the face of overwhelming adversity. Alive with grit and tenderness, this is an unforgettable story of the power of friendship to sustain us through loss, betrayal, and devastating consequence."

James Wade (Author), Roger Clark (Narrator)

Audiobook

Lord Guan: Warrior, Hero, God; A Historical Novel

"In the spirit of Shōgun comes an iconic story inspired by the real-life hero Lord Guan, also known as Guan Yu, an honorable warrior who fought to restore the Han dynasty in second-century China. Guan Yu (160–220 AD), also known as Guan Gong (Lord Guan), has been celebrated as a pan-Asiatic hero for well over a thousand years. He has been repeatedly canonized and deified across Asia. This historically detailed novel tells the story of his humble beginnings in a rural setting, his unexpected journey into martial arts, the murder of his family members, his unexpected love story, and his emergence as an invincible warrior. It follows his dedication to restoring the great Han Dynasty (BC 206–220 AD) during a tumultuous and war-torn period in Chinese history. At the outset of his mission, he forms a brotherhood with two equally idealistic supporters of the Han Dynasty. Together, the three men, known as the Peach Garden Brothers, become the backbone of a military force competing against warlords for control of the declining Han Empire. Throughout the years of conflict, Lord Guan encounters Xian-Hui, a talented and educated beauty kidnapped by eunuchs from the Imperial Palace who is forced to serve as a concubine. With great courage, she escapes her bondage and unexpectedly meets Lord Guan during her frightening getaway. Lord Guan ultimately sacrifices his life for his mission. Although he did not succeed in restoring the Han Dynasty, his legendary exploits have become an integral part of Chinese folklore. He has endured in the hearts and minds of millions throughout history as a symbol of courage, integrity, and loyalty. Lord Guan’s adventures were first romanticized in the classic Chinese fourteenth-century novel The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Charles Li’s Lord Guan is a modern and dramatic retelling of this historically significant tale."

Charles N. Li (Author), Ewan Chung (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Wayfinder: A Novel

"A historical epic about a girl from a remote Tongan island who becomes her people's queen. Talking corpses, poetic parrots, and a fan that wafts the breath of life—this is the world young Kōrero finds herself thrust into when a mysterious visitor lands on her island, a place so remote its inhabitants have forgotten the word for stranger. Her people are desperate and on the brink of starvation, and the wayward stranger offers them an impossible choice: they can remain in the only home they’ve ever known and await the uncertainty to come, or Kōrero can join him and venture into unfamiliar waters, guided by only the night sky and his assurance of a bountiful future in the Kingdom of Tonga. What Kōrero and her people don’t know is that the promised refuge is no utopia—instead, Tonga is an empire at war and on the verge of collapse, a place where brains are regularly liberated from skulls and souls get trapped in coconuts with some frequency. The perils of Tonga are compounded by a royal feud: loyalties are shifting, graves are being opened, and everyone lives in fear of a jellyfish tattoo. Here, survival can rest on a perfectly performed dance or the acceptance of a cup of kava. Together, the stranger and Kōrero embark upon an epic voyage—one that will deliver them either to salvation or to the depths of the Pacific. Evoking the grandeur of Wolf Hall and the splendor of Shōgun, the Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist Adam Johnson conjures oral history, restores the natural world, and locates what’s best in humanity. Toweringly ambitious and breathtakingly immersive, The Wayfinder is an instant, timeless classic. A Macmillan Audio production from MCD Books"

Adam Johnson (Author), Waikamania Seve (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Parasites

"FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF REBECCA 'When people play the game: Name three or four persons whom you would choose to have with you on a desert island - they never choose the Delaneys. They don't even choose us one by one as individuals. We have earned, not always fairly we consider, the reputation of being difficult guests...' Maria, Niall and Celia have grown up in the shadow of their famous parents. Their father is a flamboyant singer and their mother is a talented dancer. Now pursuing their own creative dreams, all three siblings feel an undeniable bond, but it is Maria and Niall who share the secret of their parents' pasts. Alternately comic and poignant, The Parasites is based on the artistic milieu its author knew best and draws the reader effortlessly into that magical world. 'One of the last century's most original literary talents' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'Wickedly readable . . . every woman instinctively wants to read her' NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW ' Somehow more personal than Daphne du Maurier's other novels' KIRKUS REVIEWS"

Daphne du Maurier (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

Soyangri Book Kitchen

"Brought to you by Penguin. A heartwarming bestselling debut novel from South Korea about the power of books to heal, as a woman leaves her busy life in Seoul to open a book café in the countryside WELCOME TO SOYANGRI BOOK KITCHEN In a quaint village, nestled outside the bustling heart of Seoul, lies a book-lovers paradise. With its wafts of delicious food and book-filled shelves Soyangri Book Kitchen is dotingly managed by its plucky proprietor Yoojin. Her aim? To create a sanctuary, for weary souls like her own. But the Book Kitchen is more than just a place to eat or read, it’s a place which offers its guests a true escape, not just inside the pages of its many books, but in the warm embrace of an overnight ‘Book Stay’. Over the course of a year, seven individuals, each at a crossroads in their lives, find their way to Yoojin’s Book Kitchen. Among them is Da-In, a music idol grappling with an identity crisis. Sohee, a promising lawyer confronted with a daunting medical diagnosis, and Soohyuk, a young musical director whose dreams have been stifled by failure. As they arrive in Soyangri, each character finds their lives subtly transformed by the magic found in its pages and the kindness of its people. © Kim Jee Hye 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Kim Jee Hye (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

Moses, Man of the Mountain

"“A narrative of great power. Warm with friendly personality and pulsating with . . . profound eloquence and religious fervor.” —New York Times In this 1939 novel based on the familiar story of the Exodus, Zora Neale Hurston blends the Moses of the Old Testament with the Moses of black folklore and song to create a compelling allegory of power, redemption, and faith. Narrated in a mixture of biblical rhetoric, black dialect, and colloquial English, Hurston traces Moses's life from the day he is launched into the Nile river in a reed basket, to his development as a great magician, to his transformation into the heroic rebel leader, the Great Emancipator. From his dramatic confrontations with Pharaoh to his fragile negotiations with the wary Hebrews, this very human story is told with great humor, passion, and psychological insight—the hallmarks of Hurston as a writer and champion of black culture."

Zora Neale Hurston (Author), Blair Underwood, Robin Miles (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Ex-Boyfriend's Favourite Recipe Funeral Committee: A magical, soul-nourishing comfort read for a

"What ingredients do you need to cure a broken heart? This soul-nourishing comfort read is for anyone who has loved and lost – and wants to love again. Momoko thought her boyfriend was her soulmate. She believed he was going to propose. Instead, he broke things off at a love hotel. So she does what many broken-hearted people do – she gets incredibly drunk. So drunk that she passes out in a nearly empty café. When she wakes, she pours her heart out to Iori, the curious and impossibly handsome manager and Hozumi, a Buddhist monk in training and café regular. As Momoko describes how her ex loved her cooking, the manager decides to allow her to slip into the kitchen and cook up his favourite dish: a delicious butter chicken curry. Momoko realizes that this combination of cooking and sharing has stopped the flow of her constant tears. And the manager has a brilliant idea: what if they started doing this regularly, inviting customers to share stories about heartbreak while cooking dishes that held significance in their relationships? And so, an unconventional therapy group, the 'Ex-Boyfriend's Favourite Recipe Funeral Committee' is born . . . "

Saki Kawashiro (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

In the Light of the Sun: A Novel

"Two sisters, separated by oceans and global conflict, are bonded through music and love in this gripping novel based on true events from World War II. "Hauntingly beautiful . . . shines a light on wartime in the Philippines and Italy, places rarely depicted in historical fiction . . . a riveting, unforgettable must-read novel that will live in my heart and mind for years to come."-Sharon Kurtzman, author of The Lost Baker of Vienna The year is 1941, and in the Philippines, Caramina Grassi dreams of training in Italy to become an opera singer like her older sister, Rosa. But as war erupts, her world is shattered, forcing her to cling to the music that has always been her refuge. When her family's lives are threatened and they are forced to flee to the jungle, she comes to understand that music is more than comfort. It becomes a muse that fuels her courage, sacrifice, and unwavering focus on the light. Meanwhile, in Florence, just as Rosa Grassi's long-awaited opera debut arrives, Mussolini tightens his grip on Italy. Drawn into la Resistenza, the underground resistance, Rosa feels lost in a fog of deception that clouds everything she thought to be true. In a time when family or friend could be foe, Rosa will learn that performing isn't just for the stage. Facing a devastating betrayal, she must decide how far she's willing to go to protect the one she loves. Inspired by true events, In the Light of the Sun is an unforgettable story of sisterhood, hope, and the enduring power of music to uplift the human spirit-even in the darkest of times."

Angela Shupe (Author), Abigail Reno, Sarah Sampino (Narrator)

Audiobook

Historical Audiobooks in Fiction