The Best Historical Fiction Picks From Reese's Book Club

Reese Witherspoon has curated a vast collection of book club picks since launching her reading group back in 2017, with selections ranging from heartwarming romantic comedies to hard-hitting lit fic. Several historical fiction titles land a spot on the list of the best Reese Witherspoon book club picks of the 2020s, with the actor and producer professing her personal love for the genre. "I've said it once and I'll say it again... I LOVE historical fiction," she wrote on Instagram in 2021. "It might be my favorite genre but shhh don't tell the others."

As a quick rundown, the historical fiction genre consists of stories that take place at least 50 years into the past and feature distinct settings and periods. In this way, they often include real-world events, phenomena, or even people but also contain fictionalized elements. Overall, historical fiction is a great way to explore cultural experiences and immersive settings, often in ways that are still strikingly relevant to the present. Given the nature of the genre, the titles on this list, including the historical thriller "The Marriage Portrait" by Maggie O'Farrell and "Daisy Jones & The Six" by Taylor Jenkins Reid, which follows a 60s-era rock band, can contain triggering topics, with reader discretion being advised in regard to the following titles. 

A 2022 release that was nominated for Best Historical Fiction in the Goodreads Choice Awards, "The Marriage Portrait" by Maggie O'Farrell is a Renaissance-set story reimagining the life of Lucrezia de' Medici, a real, sixteenth-century Italian duchess, as she's swept into a new life as the wife of Alfonso II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara. The 15-year-old royal must acclimate to an unfamiliar court with foreign customs while navigating her deadly relationship with her new husband and his expectations of an heir. 

"It's a fascinating, historical thriller about an Italian Duchess, who we learn at the very beginning of the book will die either by sickness...or by her husband's hand," Reese Witherspoon wrote on Instagram. "I could not stop Googling all the details of this true story!" In addition to Witherspoon's glowing review, "The Marriage Portrait" boasts an average Goodreads rating of 4.01 stars, with readers highlighting its immersive writing and thrilling storytelling. Also, right at home on the list of the best thriller and mystery picks from Reese's Book Club, fans of intrigue, deception, and Renaissance Italy should check this one out. 

"The House of Eve" by Sadeqa Johnson is another great historical fiction pick from Reese's Book Club, with this 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards nominee following two Black women in 1950s America. Having been born to a teen mom and raised by her grandmother, Ruby Pearsall has dreams of overcoming her family's history of hardship and poverty by being the first to attend college, but an unexpected romance threatens her ambitions. Meanwhile, middle-class Eleanor Quarles becomes involved with an affluent Black man while attending Howard University but struggles to impress his powerful family. 

"These two women's lives intersect in the most wonderful and unlikely way," Reese Witherspoon said in a TikTok. "I was completely surprised by the ending, and it was just beautifully told and written by Sadeqa Johnson." With a 4.25 average rating on Goodreads, "The House of Eve" is praised by reviewers for its compelling explorations of complex themes, including colorism, racism, generational trauma, and motherhood. This, combined with Johnson's moving but readable prose, definitely makes this a TBR-worthy historical fiction pick. 

"The Henna Artist" by Alka Joshi ranks as another great historical fiction pick from Reese's Book Club, with this 2020 release being nominated for best historical fiction and best debut novel in the Goodreads Choice Awards. Set in 1950s India, the story centers around Lakshmi, a young woman who travels to the city of Jaipur after fleeing her abusive marriage. She pursues safety and security working as a henna artist, gaining acclaim among the high-class women she tattoos, but her ambitions are suddenly compromised when her husband and an unknown sister make a surprise entrance into her new life. 

"This vivid story is so rich and complex," Witherspoon wrote on Instagram. "Reading about Lakshmi's journey from escaping an abusive marriage to becoming one of the most sought-after henna artists in Jaipur captivated me from the first chapter to the final page." The Hollywood figure isn't the only one who enjoyed the book club pick, with "The Henna Artist" having an average rating of 4.18 on Goodreads. Readers have noted Joshi's descriptive writing and flawed characters are standout elements of the books, with themes of agency, perseverance, and family also being major highlights. In this way, it's definitely a historical fiction worth checking out. 

Next up on our list is "The Dictionary of Lost Words," a Pip Williams title released in 2020. Set during the suffrage movement and WWI, this historical fiction follows Esme, the daughter of a lexicographer working to create the first ever Oxford English Dictionary, as she becomes invested in the words rejected and absent from her father's language-based project. With the help of characters like Lizzie, a young, hard-working servant, Esme eventually begins compiling a dictionary of her own, one that features vocabulary reflective of the experiences of women and the working class.

"It's a really thought-provoking novel, and it explores history and women's rights and the power of language while also weaving in really fun things like love and romance and literature," Reese Witherspoon said in a TikTok. "It's a great reminder of how vital it is for women to have the ability to tell their own stories." With an average Goodreads rating of 4.02, reviewers note the charming characters and compelling, slower-paced storytelling of "The Dictionary of Lost Words." Perfect for readers who love language and books about books, this is a Reese's Book Club pick to consider.

Lastly, "Daisy Jones & The Six" by Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of the most popular historical fiction novels to be featured in Reese's Book Club, with the novel winning the title of Readers' Favorite Historical Fiction in the 2019 Goodreads Choice Awards. Heavily inspired by the British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, the story centers around Daisy Jones, an adventurous wild child, and the Billy Dunne-led band The Six. Each party encounters their own roadblocks on their journey to fame and success, but they come together to form an explosive and mysteriously short-lived powerhouse in the 70s.

"It's un-put-downable!" Reese Witherspoon said in a video on Reese's Book Club. "This incredible novel has so many interesting, colorful characters, but the two people at the center are Billy Dunne and Daisy Jones, and they come together to form this electric musical bond that creates some of the greatest songs of the era." Boasting an average rating of 4.2 stars on Goodreads, the interview-style format of this novel is incredibly readable, while its cast of unique characters makes for a dynamic and compelling story. Plus, while there are some BookTok movie adaptations we can't wait for, "Daisy Jones & The Six" was adapted for television on Prime Video and produced by Witherspoon herself.

To decide the best historical fiction picks from Reese's Book Club, we looked at selections from the genre that held an average Goodreads rating of 3.8 stars or above. We also strove to curate a list that included books with a variety of stories, settings, and characters and used Reese Witherspoon's endorsement of each book to inform our decisions.