Books Set in the 1900s-1910s: The Turn of the Century

by Susan Meissner
Setting: 1906, San Francisco
First published 2021

In the early 1900s, Irish immigrant Sophie was desperate to get out of a New York tenement. She answered a mail-order bride ad and agreed to marry a man named Martin Hocking in San Francisco. Martin is an aloof but handsome widower with a silent five-year-old daughter.

One evening, a young pregnant woman arrives at their doorstep. Sophie also learns of another woman, hundreds of miles away in Arizona, grieving the loss of everything she once loved. The fates of these three women become intertwined on the eve of the devastating San Francisco earthquake.

by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
Setting: 1905, NYC
First published 2021

Belle da Costa Greene was working at the Princeton University Library when J.P. Morgan’s nephew recommended her for a position curating a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artbooks for his uncle’s newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. This position of prominence makes her one of the most influential people in the art and book world, and she became a fixture on the New York social scene.

But Belle has a secret that could change everything. While she’s led people to believe that her complexion is dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage, the truth is that she was born Bella Marion Greener - the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard University.

The Book Girls Say… This novel is based on the remarkable true story of J.P. Morgan’s personal librarian, a Black woman who became one of the most powerful women in NYC at the turn of the century by passing as white.

PS: We have a Personal LIbrarian book club guide with discussion questions, as well as a printable version available on Etsy that also includes 7 pages of bonus content and photos, a custom bookmark, and more!

by Nancy E Turner
Setting: 1907 Arizona Territory and Illinois
First published 2020

Mary Pearl and her sister pass the time during the scorching hot summer in the Arizona Territory by reading banned Jane Austen novels from their aunt’s bookshelf and dreaming of their own Mr. Darcy. Mary Pearl’s wish seems to come true when Aubrey Hanna begins courting her - he’s old-fashioned, comes from old money, and promises her a life of high society and a wealthy estate. But the courtship creates tension among the three generations of women in Mary Pearl’s family.

As fall nears, however, Mary Pearl receives an acceptance letter to a prestigious northern college that causes her to question her marriage plans. She is immersed in a sophisticated new world that transforms her into a feminist a century ahead of her time.

by Jane Healey
Setting: 1909, Boston
First published 2017

The Saturday Evening Girls Club is a pottery-making group in Boston’s North End. It provides four young immigrant women a respite from the struggles in their daily lives.

Sicilian Caprice wants to open a hat shop, but her parents have different plans for her future. Ada wants to take college classes, but her Russian-Jewish father disapproves. Maria is stunning and has plenty of prospects for a husband, but she fears ending up miserable like her Italian Catholic mother. Thea is shy and torn between speaking up for herself or falling in line with an antiquated Jewish tradition.

Despite their cultural differences, the friends draw strength from each other as they fight to transform their immigrant stories into fulfilled American dreams.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 1/11/23.

by Kate Manning
Setting: 1907, Colorado
First published: 2022

The Padgett family’s marble-mining company dominates the town of Moonstone. Sylvie’s father works for them, and she knows the workers are discontent with how they are treated. When she leaves her mountain cabin to work for the Padgetts in their manor, she’s in awe of the luxury they live in.

While the Padgetts express lofty philosophical ideals, Sylvie notices the contrast between the talk and the real-life labor practices that created the Padgett fortune. Their servants, the Gradys, are formerly enslaved people who are also aware of the hypocrisy. The Gradys plan to leave the Padgetts and form a new utopian community on the Colorado prairie.

Outside the manor, labor leader Mary Harris “Mother” Jones, is stirring up the quarry workers. The newspaper editor is also involved and regularly publishes unflattering accounts of the Padgett Company. Sylvie is stuck in the middle, with conflicting loyalties, until she is forced to choose sides.

The Book Girls Say…This historical fiction is filled with true stories of Colorado in the early 1900s, including tales of the real labor activist “Mother Jones”. The Financial Panic of 1907 is also covered.

by Heather Webb
Setting: 1902, Ellis Island
First published 2022

Francesca arrived in America from Italy with dreams of a better life than the one she left behind. She arrived at Ellis Island on Alma’s first work day at the immigrant processing center.

However, both soon discover that Ellis is not the refuge it appears to be. President Roosevelt put in new measures to deter crime, which led to a new kind of crime and corruption.

Based on historical events, this novel explores the prejudice and exclusion that happened within Ellis Island. But, it’s also a story of friendship and the resilience needed to secure a better future.

The Book Girls Say…Don’t miss the author’s notes at the end as Heather Webb shares details about her research and which characters are based on real people. At some points, the book’s pacing is slower in this character-driven story. One reviewer found the audio version distracting as the narrator's Italian accent wasn’t consistent, so this one may be better in print or Kindle.

by Betty Smith
Setting: 1900-1918, Brooklyn, New York
First published 1943

This beloved American classic brilliantly captures a unique time and place and deeply resonant moments of universal experience.

Francie Nolan needed to be made of stern stuff from her earliest days. Growing up in the Williamsburg slums of Brooklyn, New York demanded fortitude, precocity, and strength of spirit - and Francie has each of these in spades. Neighbors often scorn her for her family's erratic and eccentric behavior, including her father's taste for alcohol and her Aunt Sissy's habit of marrying serially without the formality of divorce. No one, least of all Francie, would say that the Nolans' life lacked drama.

The Book Girls Say... This book isn't a plot-driven page-turner, but instead provides a poignant, and at times meandering, look at life in the 1910s.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
95% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Bette Lee Crosby
Setting: 1906, San Fransisco
First published 2021

When aspiring fashion designer Templeton met John Morehouse on a trolly, she had no idea how much the encounter would change her life. They fell madly in love, leading her to move from her home in Philadelphia to join him in San Fransisco despite her family’s protests.

As her business grows over the years, things are good. However, on April 18th, 1906, everything changes again when a massive earthquake destroys the city and John goes missing. With the city ablaze, Templeton’s father heads to California to help her locate John. He's too old for the journey, and Templeton fears she could lose the two most important men in her life.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 1/17/23.

by Jennifer Donnelly
Setting: 1906, Adirondack Mountains, New York
First published 2003

Sixteen-year-old Mattie is the eldest of four daughters being raised by a grieving father. She finds comfort in books and in learning new words. While she dreams of being a writer, she’s also a realist and knows that her dream of escaping their homestead to a fancy writing career in New York City is unlikely. Especially with the duty she has to her father and younger siblings.

When she takes a job at the Glenmore Hotel, she meets guest Grace Brown. Grace asks Mattie to burn a secret bundle of letters. But then, Grace’s body is found in the lake. Do the letters hold the truth of her murder?

The Book Girls Say…This YA novel has won multiple literary awards, including the Carnegie Medal and the Printz Honor.

by Jess Walter
Setting: 1909, Spokane, WA
First published 2020

This literary fiction novel takes you to 1909 Washington, where the economy is still struggling to rebound after the 1907 recession. The Dolan brothers are drifting through the year, looking for work with job agencies and getting involved with a fledgling union.

Throughout their days, they interact with a wide cast of secondary characters, including Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Jones, one of the real advocates for workers' rights at the time. The real Spokane Free Speech Fight is also included in the novel. The entire novel studies the class warfare of early 20th-century America.

The Book Girls Say…If you love character studies and detailed prose and aren’t opposed to political undertones, this novel is for you. Reviewers say the audio version is particularly well-done.

by E. L. Doctorow
Setting: 1906 through WWI, New York City
First published 1975

The story opens in New Rochelle, New York, at the home of an affluent American family. One lazy Sunday afternoon, the famous escape artist Harry Houdini swerves his car into a telephone pole outside their house. And almost magically, the line between fantasy and historical fact, between real and imaginary characters, disappears.

Henry Ford, Emma Goldman, J. P. Morgan, Evelyn Nesbit, Sigmund Freud, and Emiliano Zapata slip in and out of the tale, crossing paths with Doctorow's imagined family and other fictional characters. The characters include an immigrant peddler and a ragtime musician from Harlem whose insistence on a point of justice drives him to revolutionary violence.

The Book Girls Say... This book has been on Angela's want-to-read list ever since her husband performed in a production of the musical adaptation of Ragtime several years ago because she was blown away by the story!

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐1/2
89% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Stacey Lee
Setting: 1906, San Fransisco
First published: 2016

Mercy Wong lives in the poverty of Chinatown within San Fransisco in 1906. She knows the best hope for her future is to get into St. Clare’s School for Girls, but admittance to the top school is limited to only the wealthist white girls. But Mercy is determined and finds a cunning way in, only to find out that admittance was the easiest part. Unfortunately, her classmates are less than welcoming.

But then, on April 18th, a historic earthquake destroys the school. The students are forced into an encampment at a park as fires rage around them. Mercy’s determination, bravery, and leadership skills are all needed to help her classmates and herself.

The Book Girls Say…This YA novel is perfect for those who love a fiery, strong female heroine.

by Sandra Dallas
Setting: 1918 Colorado
First published 2022

While the first world war raged in 1918, the world was also fighting a second battle against the Spanish Flu. In Denver, schools were turned into hospitals, and horse-drawn wagons must continually collect corpses from the streets. Sisters Helen and Lutie are new Denver residents, moving after the death of their parents in Iowa.

Nurse Helen has found a new beau who is a doctor, and Lutie works in advertising at a chic store. To help make ends meet, they have a tenant in the basement of their tidy home. However, when she passes from the flu, they find themselves unexpected caretakers for her young daughter, Dorothy. Their lives take another turn when Lutie arrives home from work to see Dorothy’s father dead in their kitchen. Worse, Helen is standing over him with an ice pick.

The sisters devise a plan to leave him in the street and hope he’s mistaken for yet another flu victim.

The Book Girls Say…Reviewers say the author transports you directly to 1918 Denver and the constant challenges women of the time endured. This historical fiction also has threads of mystery and romance.

by Jennifer Chiaverini
Setting: 1917, France
First published 2022

When General John Pershing arrived in France to establish American forces in Europe, he quickly identified the lack of communication with soldiers in the field as a significant barrier to success. Although women were not allowed to enlist at the time, the Army Signal Corps needed to recruit experienced telephone operators.

More than 7600 women responded to the call, like Grace, a Barnard grad, Marie, the French aspiring opera singer, and Valerie, the young telephone operator from LA hoping to do her part. When the women arrived, they could connect a call in ten seconds compared to the sixty seconds it took the men they replaced.

The job was dangerous and included time near the front lines. This historical fiction novel shows the essential role the brave women of the US Army Signal Corps played in WW1.

by Fiona Davis
Setting: 1919 and 1966, New York City
First published 2022

Lillian was one of the most sought-after artist models in New York City, with statues based on her figure gracing famous landmarks throughout the city - from the Plaza Hotel to the Brooklyn Bridge. After losing her mother to the Spanish Flu outbreak, however, Lillian feels lost in the world.

Her work has mostly dried up, so when she's offered a job as a personal secretary at the Frick mansion—a building that, ironically, bears her own visage—Lillian is eager to accept the opportunity. Working closely with Helen Frick, daughter of industrialist and art patron Henry Clay Frick, pulls Lillian into a privileged world and a tangled web of romantic trysts, stolen jewels, and family drama that might prove to be life or death.

Five decades later, in the 1960s, Veronica, an English model, is working in the former Frick residence, which has since been converted into one of New York City's most impressive museums. She and a young art curator stumble upon a series of hidden messages in the museum that might finally reveal the truth behind a decades-old murder.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Calia Imrie
Setting: 1911, France and Aboard the Titanic
First published 2021

Marcella has been married for three years and has two young children. Her once charming husband. Michael has revealed his true, cruel nature, and she’s determined to divorce him. While Michael’s waiting for a judge in France to award custody of their children, he receives shocking news.

Margaret is a fun-loving New York socialite who is touring Europe with friends. When she begins to feel restless, she decides to return home aboard a celebrated new steamer ship, the Titanic.

As the ship sets sail for America, the paths of Marcella, Michael, and Margaret become forever intertwined. This historical fiction novel is based on a true story.

by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Setting: 1911, New York City
First published 2007

Uprising tells the story of three women. Bella arrived in New York from Italy and was one of the hundreds of immigrants hired to work at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. The hours are long, and the conditions are grueling. Her coworker, Yetta, is crusading for a union and convinces the workers to strike. Jane is a young, wealthy socialite who learns the plight of the factory workers and becomes invested in their cause.

On March 25, 1911, Bella and Yetta were both at work, and Jane was visiting the factory when a spark ignited some cloth. The building was quickly engulfed in flames. This historical fiction novel draws on extensive research to bring the tragedy of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire to life.

by Erik Larson
Setting: 1915, aboard the Lusitania
First published: 2015

In May of 1915, the Lusitania, a luxury ocean liner, sailed out of New York bound for Liverpool, England. The ship had the feel of a well-appointed English country house. On this crossing, it was carrying a record number of children and infants traveling with their parents.

As the ship set sail, the passengers were anxious because German U-boats had been terrorizing the waters of the North Atlantic. Still, the Captain and others were confident that the centuries-old unwritten rules of warfare would keep a civilian ship safe from attack. Additionally, the speed of the Lusitania made it likely that it could outrun any threat. Unfortunately, Germany decided to change the rules of the game.

This narrative non-fiction places you aboard the ship with a cast of real-life characters and tells a story of glamour, mystery, suspense, and, ultimately, tragedy.

The Book Girls Say… If you enjoy history and non-fiction, Erik Larson's books are a wonderful choice because of his detailed research. Because he shares many details, some readers find his books enthralling page-turners, while others find them slow.

If you’d prefer to read a historical fiction novel about the sinking of the Lusitania, consider The Glass Ocean or Seven Days in May.

by Genevieve Graham
Setting: Belgium, 1918 & Windsor, Canada, past & present
First published 2022

Detroit museum curator Cassie loves solving mysteries from the past, especially when the stories involve the Detroit River rumrunners from the Prohibition days. When a home renovation uncovers a cache of Bailey Brothers Best whisky, she hopes it’s the missing piece she needs to understand the truth about the bootleggers.

In 1918, Corporal Jeremiah Bailey was wounded as part of his job planting mines under enemy trenches. As he recovers at a Belgium hospital, he’s cared for by nurse Adele, one of the Canadian “Bluebirds.” The connection between Jerry and Adele is strong as they’re from a similar area along the Detroit River. But when Jerry is sent back to the front, he’s not sure he’ll ever see Adele again.

When Jerry and Adele unexpectedly cross paths after the war, they have a chance for a fresh start, but both carry baggage from what they saw overseas. Prohibition is in full swing, bringing them both opportunity and the threat of destroying everything they’ve worked for.

by Beatriz Williams
Setting: 1914 Berlin & 1964 Manhattan
First published 2014

It was not easy to be a female scientist in 1914, so Violet Schuyler Grant endures her much older, philandering husband because he makes her role as a physicist in prewar Germany possible. When Lionel, a captain in the British Army, meets Violet, he encourages her to escape her husband’s hold. However, with WW1 on the horizon, Lionel’s motives are suspect.

Fifty years later, Vivian Schuyler is a recent Bryn Mawr grad in New York City but not content to be a socialite. Instead, she’s trying to break into the glamorous world of magazine publishing. She puts her investigative skills to use when she receives a package of information about a mysterious aunt she never knew.

The Book Girls Say…This is the first book in the Schuyler Sisters trilogy.

by Emma Donoghue
Setting: 1918, Ireland
First published 2020

In 1918, Ireland was ravaged by both war and disease. Julia is a nurse working in an understaffed hospital caring for pregnant women who have been quarantined after contracting a terrible new flu that would come to be known as the Spanish Flu.

Two newcomers to the hospital ward will change everything over the course of three days. One is Doctor Katleen Lynn, who is rumored to be a Rebel on the run from the police. The other is Bridie, a young volunteer.

The Book Girls Say… For another look at the Spanish Flu set against the backdrop of the Mexican Revolution, consider reading Murmur of Bees by Sofía Segovia. For insight into the Spanish Flu in New York, try A Beautiful Poison, which would also be great for fans of Radium Girls, as some characters are employed in a watch factory painting dials with radium.

by Susan Meissner
Setting: 1911 and 2011, Manhattan
First published 2014

September 1911. On Ellis Island in New York Harbor, nurse Clara Wood cannot face returning to Manhattan, where the man she loved fell to his death in the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. Then, while caring for a fevered immigrant whose own loss mirrors hers, she becomes intrigued by a name embroidered onto the scarf he carries...and finds herself caught in a dilemma that compels her to confront the truth about the assumptions she’s made.

September 2011. On Manhattan’s Upper West Side, widow Taryn Michaels has convinced herself that she is living fully, working in a charming specialty fabric store and raising her daughter alone. Then a long-lost photograph appears in a national magazine, and she is forced to relive the terrible day her husband died in the collapse of the World Trade Center Towers, which was the same day a stranger reached out and saved her. But a chance reconnection and a century-old scarf may open Taryn’s eyes to the larger forces at work in her life.

The Book Girls say... Melissa chose this book during the first year of the Decades Challenge and rated it 4.5 stars. She enjoyed the peek behind the scenes of Ellis Island and learning about the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Fire.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
94% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Hazel Gaynor
Setting: 1912 and 1876, England
First published 2015

For years, Mr. Shaw’s Home for Watercress and Flower Girls in London has watched over London’s flower girls, as they are known. These orphaned and disabled children survive on the streets by selling violets and watercress. In 1912, Twenty-year-old Tilly Harper left her native Lake District and moved to London to become an assistant housemother at the home.

Tilly discovers the diary of a young woman named Florrie with dried flowers pressed between the pages and a heartbreaking tale of her separation from her sister, Rosie. Drawn into their story from the 1870s, Tilly hopes to discover what happened to Rosie.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Fiona Davis
Setting: 1913 and 1993, New York City
First published 2020

In 1913, Laura's husband was the superintendent of the NY Public Library. The job included an apartment for their family in the grand building. Laura seems to have it all, but isn't content to be a stay-at-home mom. After entering journalism school at Columbia, she meets a group of women fighting for women's suffrage. Her worldview is rocked, and she starts to question if the things she has are the things she wants.

Eighty years later, in 1993, Sadie landed her dream job as a curator at the NY Public Library, but the legacy of her grandmother, Laura, looms over her until she can no longer ignore it.

The Book Girls Say... Fiona Davis is one of our favorite historical fiction writers because of her strong female characters and because each novel is set in a famous NYC building. This book is no exception! We enjoyed the dual timeline that follows this family through the generations.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Ellen Marie Wiseman
Setting: 1918, Philadelphia
First published 2020

As the US celebrates the end of WWI in 1918, the Spanish flu brings a new threat to American cities. In Philadelphia, 13-year-old Pia, a German immigrant, is forced to venture out into the quarantined city in search of food for her and her younger brothers.

Amid anti-immigrant sentiment in her city and the grief of losing her baby to the Spanish flu, Bernice Groves formulates a plot to transform the city's orphans and immigrant children into "true Americans."

After collapsing on the street, Pia wakes up days later in a hospital, desperate to return to her brothers, but instead, she is taken to an orphan asylum.

The Book Girls Say... Some readers find this book a bit slow to start and difficult to read because of the parallels to the recent global pandemic, but most find themselves drawn into the story and invested in the characters.

For another historical fiction perspective on the impacts of the Spanish flu epidemic in Philadelphia, you might want to read As Bright as Heaven, by Susan Meissner. This book - about a couple that takes in a baby that has been orphaned by the disease - is both heartbreaking and uplifting.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
97% Would Recommend to a Friend

This book is available free with Kindle Unlimited as of January 2023.

by Candice Millard
Setting: 1912, Brazil
First published: 2005

This narrative non-fiction lets you travel with Theodore Roosevelt on a dangerous adventure down the Amazon River. The territory he covered with his crew, including son Kermit and Brazil’s most famous explorer, Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon, was previously uncharted.

The river’s rough rapids were only the beginning of the challenges. Indigenous groups hunted the rafters with poisonous arrows from the shores, and the water was filled with its natural dangers, including piranhas and disease. Along the journey, three men died, including one murdered by someone in their group. Roosevelt himself was driven to the brink of suicide.

But the group endured and changed the map of South America forever.

The Book Girls Say…Many readers enjoyed this author’s book Destiny of the Republic about James Garfield from our 1880-1890s book list.

by Laila Ibrahim
Setting: 1915, Virginia
First published 2022

May and Naomi are young women connected through their grandmothers, whose lives became intertwined while living on a Virginia plantation in the years leading up to the Civil War. Half a century later, the grandaughters’ lives are filled with the promise of equal opportunity.

May is a young white woman building the life of independence she’s always dreamed of. Naomi is a young Black nurse, a mother, and a leader of the NAACP. She has also achieved her dream of buying a home for her family.

But for both women in 1915, their dreams are about to be upended. May is forced once again to rely on her mother, and Naomi is faced with white neighbors who don’t want her there, even while her sons are away fighting for their country.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 1/17/23.

by Amy Stewart
Setting: 1914-1915, New York & New Jersey
First published 2015

This historical fiction novel is based on the real-life events of one of America's first female deputy sheriffs. Constance Kopp doesn't fit the mold of a woman in the 1910s - she towers over most men and has no interest in marriage or domestic affairs. She has isolated herself from the world for the past years, ever since a family secret sent her and her sisters into hiding.

When a belligerent and powerful silk factory owner runs down their buggy and refuses to cover the damages, he threatens her family and their farm with violence. But Constance refuses to be intimidated. When the sheriff enlists her help in convicting the men, she is forced to confront her past to defend her family.

The Book Girls Say... This book is the first of seven in the Kopp Sisters series. One of our readers described this book a, "a fascinating look into small-town New Jersey society."

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
95% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Camille Di Maio
Setting: Mid-1910s and 1940s, New York City
First published 2018

Vera, the daughter of German immigrants in New York City, finds her life upended when the man she loves becomes engaged to another woman. But Angelo has also inadvertently opened up Vera's life to unexpected possibilities. Angelo's new wife, Pearl, the wealthy daughter of a clothing manufacturer, has defied her family's expectations by devoting herself to the women's suffrage movement.

In Pearl, Vera finds an unexpected dear friend…and a stirring new cause of her own. But when Pearl's selfless work pulls her away from Angelo and their son, the life Vera craved is suddenly within her reach—if her conscience will allow her to take it.

The Book Girls say... Watch our interview with author Camille Di Maio! Melissa rated this book 4 stars and Angela gave it 4.5 stars. We both enjoyed looking into the suffrage movement in New York City and learning about the work that went into constructing the tunnels under NYC, all woven into an easy-to-read historical romance.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
90% Would Recommend to a Friend

This book is currently available free with Kindle Unlimited as of January 2023.

by Mary Doria Russell
Setting: 1913, Michigan
First published 2019

Twenty-five-year-old Annie Clements has spent her whole life in the copper-mining town of Calumet, Michigan. The men risk their lives deep underground, and the women labor in elite households to help make enough money to put food on the table.

When Annie decides to stand up for herself and the workers in her town, she faces opposition from all sides. Her husband resents her growing independence, she's endangered by the violent political landscape, and she risks the threat of prison. Ultimately, she has to decide if standing up how much of herself she's willing to sacrifice for the families in her town.

This historical fiction novel is a portrait of the early 20th-century labor movement.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Kate Quinn
Setting: 1915 and 1947, France
First published 2017

Two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during WWI and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption.

The Book Girls Say... Angela and Melissa both rated this book 4 out of 5 stars. Angela found the story of the WWI Alice Network fascinating and enjoyed the writing style that intertwined the stories of the two women. Unlike many other stories told from two perspectives in two different time periods, Angela liked that the two female protagonists were together in the later time period forming a unique relationship, which added another layer to the story.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
96% Would Recommend to a Friend

Edited by M.J. Rose & Fiona Davis; Introduction by Kristin Hannah
Setting: 1915, New York City
First published 2020

On October 23, 1915, tens of thousands marched in NYC for the right to vote. Each woman was there for her own reasons and with her own story. This collection of historical fiction short stories all take place on that day, and together they form a portrait of a very important moment in history.

These stories come from some of the biggest names in historical fiction, including Fiona Davis, Paula McLain, and Lisa Wingate, with an introduction by Kristin Hannah.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Walter Lord
Setting: 1912, England, Atlantic Ocean aboard the Titanic
First published 1955

A Night to Remember is still considered the best book written about the Titanic. It's a riveting account of Titanic's fatal collision - including what was happening with passengers and staff before, during, and after the iceberg.

While this non-fiction book is a true account written based on interviews and news reports, it reads like a historical fiction novel.

The Book Girls Say... Melissa rated this one a solid four stars and recommends it to anyone with even a slight interest in the Titanic. Although it's an older book, it's a page-turner full of interesting tidbits, and at under 200 pages, it's a very quick read.

This book is currently included with Kindle Unlimited as of January 2023.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
92% Would Recommend to a Friend

OTHERS TO CONSIDER: If you are looking for recently published historical fiction stories about the Titanic, consider: Women and Children First, by Gill Paul (which begins on the Titanic and then follows some of the survivors as they arrive in New York), and The Titanic Affair by Amanda Grange (at under 200 pages, this is also a very quick read; it's also currently available free with Kindle Unlimited).

by Kate Moore
Setting: 1917 through the 1920s, USA
First published 2017

The newly discovered element of radium makes gleaming headlines across the nation as the fresh face of beauty and the wonder drug of the medical community. From body lotion to tonic water, the popular new element shines bright in the otherwise dark years of WWI.

Across the US, hundreds of girls toil in the glowing dust of the radium-dial factories. The glittering chemical covers their bodies from head to toe; they light up the night like industrious fireflies. With such a coveted job, these "shining girls" are the luckiest alive — until they begin to fall mysteriously ill.

The Book Girls say... We have both read this non-fiction book, and both highly recommend it as an essential part of history! It is heartbreaking and hard to read because of the terrible illnesses that the women suffer, but worth it. While this book begins in the 1910s, it also covers the 1920s and into the 1930s.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
96% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Sharon Mass
Setting: 1910, British Guiana, South America
First published: 2015

Winnie lives a privileged life on her father’s sugar cane plantation in British Guiana on the northeastern coast of South America. Life is very easy when Winnie follows society's rules. However, she can’t help falling in love with George, the black post-office boy from the other side of town.

Winnie begins living a double life and then fights to prove her love for George in a world determined to keep them apart.

The Book Girls Say…British Guiana is now the independent nation of Guyana. This book is the first in a series called the Quint Chronicles. Book 2 is The Sugar Planter's Daughter.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 1/11/23.

by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Setting: 1910, Yorkshire, England
First published in novel form 1911

The Secret Garden is often considered one of the best children's books of the twentieth century, but it appeals to both young and old alike. Mary lives in India with her uncaring parents when they are both killed in a cholera epidemic. She is sent to live with an uncle at his house in England, where she meets and helps her uncle's sickly son, Colin, recover his health.

The Book Girls Say... For another classic children's novel set in this time period, consider Pollyana (which is currently available with Kindle Unlimited as of January 2023).

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Camille DiMaio
Setting: 1914 & 1943 San Antonio, TX
First published 2020

When Emma marries Otto, she dreams of a simple and happy life. However, Otto’s obsession with his businesses, including beer, mining, and hospitality, makes them one of the wealthiest couples in the nation. Despite the wealth, Emma is lonely and unhappy. Then, an accident brings her an unexpected choice - should she choose loyalty or independence?

In 1943, a dying woman issues an ad for someone to write her life story. Mabel is fleeing her old life in Baltimore after the war and is eager to escape to San Antonio for this unique position. As she learns Emma’s story, she’s surprised to find a women who experienced both devastation and astonishing success as she navigated a brewery through Texas prohibition.

The Book Girls Say…This book is based on the real-life of Emma Koehler & history of Pearl Brewing. After reading, check out the Hotel Emma in San Antonio, which was formerly the Pearl Brewhouse.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 1/17/23.

You can find additional books set around the world in the 1910s on our WW1 novel list.