While discussing books with some ladies I met at an art workshop recently, one mentioned that The Correspondent by Virginia Evans was her first introduction to the concept of epistolary novels. As a former English Lit major and forever book nerd, I was absolutely delighted and proceeded to recommend every novel-in-letters that I could think of off the top of my mind. The list wasn’t very long, I’m afraid. Aside from Lady Susan and the first book mentioned on this list, I couldn’t think of much. Later on, I remembered Dracula and Frankenstein, though the latter doesn’t feel so much epistolary since the entire novel takes place between the pages of a single letter. My inability to come up with many epistolary novels inspired me to dig deeper, though. I love an epistolary novel, especially a historical one, so I immediately started looking for more, both to satiate my own desire and to recommend next time the topic comes up.
These five epistolary historical fiction novels represent different takes on the genre, from a series of back-and-forth letters between correspondents to diary entries that reveal the life of a person the reader might never have known. They all have one thing in common, though, and that is the fact that they’re an absolute delight to read.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
The first book that immediately comes to mind when recommending top-tier epistolary historical fiction is now and probably always will be The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. This is the kind of historical fiction book that appeals to audiences of all ages. It’s a love story, a war story, and a story of books, friendship, and outstanding bravery.
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
This semi-autobiographical novel from award-winning poet Ocean Vuong takes the form of a letter to a mother from her son. Though his mother can’t read, Little Dog writes the story of their family’s past to help open a window to the parts of his life he’s always kept hidden. It’s a beautiful exploration of class, race, masculinity, and knowing one another even when we’re caught across divides.
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
This epistolary novel takes the form of diary entries from a priest horrified to discover his past has come back to haunt him. A man is rumored to haunt the fields of the Blackfeet Nation, the site of a massacre some years earlier. Now, Good Stab has sought out the priest to take his confession. But there’s a reason Good Stab came looking for this particular priest. This novel is full of Stephen Graham Jones’ signature style, blending history and horror for maximum, shocking effect.
TW for graphic descriptions of infant death.
Past Tense
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Vanessa and Her Sister by Priya Parmar
Author Priya Parmar imagines a world where Virginia Woolf’s sister, the gifted painter Vanessa, keeps a diary of their lives. When the Stephen siblings, Vanessa, Virginia, Thoby, and Adrian, leave London behind for a home in Bloomsbury, they bring together a group of gifted friends that will eventually become known as the legendary Bloomsbury Group. Sisters Virginia and Vanessa are the beating heart of the talented group of artists. But when Vanessa falls in love, her brilliant sister, accustomed to Vanessa’s constant attention, begins to unravel. Soon, with the family on the brink of destruction, Vanessa will have to decide whether to finally live her life for herself, even if it means leaving her beloved sister behind.
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
A girl desperate to escape the bullying of her fellow classmates in Tokyo writes a series of diary entries documenting the life of her great-grandmother, a Buddhist nun. An ocean away, a novelist living on a remote island discovers a Hello Kitty lunchbox filled with mysterious artifacts she suspects washed away in the 2011 tsunami that devastated Japan. It reveals the lives of people completely unknown to her. Their stories may change her completely, even so.
TW for bullying and mentions of suicide.
Find more epistolary novels to fall in love with:
100 Must-Read Epistolary Novels
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