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Hello summer reading! June is here, and let me tell you, the vibes outside are immaculate. Everything’s green and blooming. It’s not quite too hot to handle yet—and believe me, in Arkansas, it’s gonna get that way—an occasional breeze hits just right, and the smell of honeysuckle hangs in the air. Basically: if you’re not out reading on a picnic blanket in the grass, what are you even doing? Quit wasting daylight and get out there already. Just don’t forget a hat and some sunscreen. Oh, and a good book. I might be able to help with that, actually. I’ve got nine great historical fiction books perfect for June reading that you’re not going to want to miss.
These new historical fiction books from June 2025 cover a wonderfully wide range of places, time periods, and perspectives. From World War II Hong Kong and post-war 1940s Los Angeles to Iran before, during, and after the 1979 revolution. Each book transports us to a different time and place, bringing history to life as only historical fiction can. So take a break from school or work—or this article—and go relax with some great new historical fiction books for summer.
In the Family Way by Laney Katz Becker
Release date: Jun 3, 2025
It’s 1965 in America, and women can’t open their own bank accounts, have their own credit cards, or sign their own leases. Divorces are difficult, and abortions are illegal. At her friend’s suggestion, prim and proper Lily Berg takes in a teenager from the local home for unwed mothers to help around the house while Lily herself is also pregnant. Betsy is meant to live with the Bergs for six months, have her baby, and then never contact the family again. That’s not exactly what happens, though.
Mrs Spy by M J Robotham
Release date: Jun 3, 2025
Maggie Flynn may look like a typical woman in 1960s London. She’s a widow raising a Beatles-obsessed teenage daughter. But she’s also a spy working for MI5. Her career brings her comfort, purpose, and a connection to her late husband, whose clandestine career only came to light after his death. It’s not until she has a run-in with a Russian agent that she learns her husband’s death may not have been so accidental. In fact, it may have been caused by one of MI5’s very own.
25 Library Terrace by Natalie Fergie
Release date: Jun 5, 2025
From 1911 to 2022, the strong-willed residents of 25 Library Terrace embrace change and rebellion, carving out their own paths in the world. From suffragettes to landladies, the residents of 25 Library Terrace are anything but ordinary. It’s not just the residents of 25 Library Terrace that bring this charming story to life, it’s the house that has seen generations change within its walls.
Past Tense
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The Gowkaran Tree in the Middle of Our Kitchen by Shokoofeh Azar
Release date: Jun 10, 2025
Covering 50 years and one large, complicated family, The Gowkaran Tree in the Middle of Our Kitchen paints an intricate portrait of Iran, both its rich culture and its tumultuous modern history. As the revolution of 1979 turns the city of Tehran and the entire country on its head, the Zoroastrian family at the heart of the novel attempts to keep their culture—and family—intact, all while a mysterious tree begins growing in their kitchen.
The Great Mann by Kyra Davis Lurie
Release date: Jun 10, 2025
The Great Mann reimagines the story of The Great Gatsby set among L.A.’s Black elite in post-WWII America. A veteran exploring Los Angeles for the first time at his cousin’s invitation finds himself on the precipice of a new life where anything seems possible—especially alongside the brilliant figure of James “Reaper” Mann. But as Mann’s parties dazzle and Charlie begins building a career and a love life, a landmark court case and the growing resentment of their white neighbors threaten to unravel everything they’ve built.
These Heathens by Mia McKenzie
Release date: Jun 17, 2025
For Doris Steele, going to Atlanta to get an abortion seems like the only option, considering her town’s midwife also goes to church with her parents. But in 1960s Atlanta, Doris finds a scandalous social scene she was never expecting. Alongside atheists(!) and activists, she discovers a civil rights movement and groups of people who seem to know exactly what they want—for themselves and for the country. Doris doesn’t know what she wants, but maybe spending a few days with these people will help her figure it out.
The Red Wind Howls by Tsering Döndrup
Release date: Jun 17, 2025
In Döndrup’s novel of persecution, survival, and resistance, the suffering of Tibetans under Mao’s regime is brought to light. Set primarily in the labor camps Tibetans were sent to after the failed 1958 Amdo rebellion, The Red Wind Howls is based on numerous interviews conducted by the author and reflects the oral storytelling tradition it is derived from. It’s a vital piece of historical fiction and a testament to the enduring spirit of Tibet.
The Teacher of Auschwitz by Wendy Holden
Release date: June 17, 2025
Amidst the horrors of Auschwitz, a young gay Jewish man named Fredy Hirsch built a small haven of hope for the children he repeatedly risked his life to protect. Freddy Hirsch may have been a prisoner himself, but as a teacher, he provided a place where the youngest, most vulnerable prisoners could sing songs and write poetry. But despite Hirsch’s best efforts, danger and devastation are ever present, and the one lesson he needs to teach them most may be beyond his grasp: how to survive.
When Sleeping Women Wake by Emma Pei Yin
Release date: June 17, 2025
When the Tang family moves to Hong Kong after the Japanese invasion of Shanghai during WWII, they believe themselves to be safe under British protection. But soon, Hong Kong is occupied, too. Now, first wife Mingzhu is only saved from hard labor by her skill with languages. She’s left with a terrible choice: work for the enemy or face certain death. Her daughter, Qiang, and servant, Biyu, are forced to scrape by on meager rations at a grueling factory. All three women must choose what they’re willing to do to survive, and, perhaps even more importantly, what they’re willing to do to fight back.
Did you miss the new historical fiction from April and May? It’s not too late to catch up, even as you move into a new month of reading.