Best African American Historical Fiction Books of 2025

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi is a powerful family saga that follows the lives of two half-sisters born in eighteenth-century Ghana, one sold into slavery, and the other married to an Englishman. The novel tells the story of their descendants, spanning from the Gold Coast to the plantations of Mississippi and Jazz Age Harlem. With vivid storytelling, Gyasi explores the legacy of slavery and its impact on generations of families. The book has received critical acclaim, and for good reason. It's a spellbinding, devastating, and truly captivating read that leaves a lasting impression. Homegoing is a must-read for anyone interested in family sagas and the history of slavery in America.

The House of Eve by Lauren Wilkinson is a must-read for historical fiction lovers. Set in 1950s Philadelphia and Washington, DC, the novel explores the lives of two young Black women, Ruby and Eleanor, and their struggles with womanhood and motherhood. The author's writing style is captivating, and the characters are well-developed, making it easy for readers to empathize with them. The House of Eve is a powerful and thought-provoking book that highlights the challenges faced by women in the mid-20th century. Overall, this book is a unique and compelling read that should not be missed.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston is a timeless classic that tells the story of Janie Crawford, a fiercely independent woman who navigates through three marriages and a life marked by poverty, trials, and purpose. Despite being out of print for almost thirty years due to the initial rejection of its strong black female protagonist, the novel has since become one of the most widely read and highly acclaimed in the canon of African-American literature. Hurston's masterwork remains as relevant and affecting today as when it was first published, and is a must-read for anyone interested in classic literature and fiction.

The Sweetness of Water is a powerful historical novel that tells the story of two freedmen brothers seeking refuge on a Georgia farm during the waning days of the Civil War. The unlikely friendship they form with the farmer and his wife alters all of their lives forever. The book also explores a forbidden romance between two Confederate soldiers and the chaos that ensues when their secret is discovered. Author Nathan Harris creates a memorable cast of characters and depicts Georgia during Reconstruction with candor and sympathy. This book is a must-read for fans of African American historical fiction.

“Deeply empathetic yet unflinching in its gaze…an unforgettable exploration of responsibility and redemption.” —Celeste Ng   “Highlights the horrific discrepancies in our healthcare system and illustrates their heartbreaking consequences.” —Essence   Inspired by true events that rocked the nation, a searing and compassionate new novel about a Black nurse in post-segregation Alabama who blows the whistle on a terrible injustice done to her patients, from the New York Times bestselling author of Wench. Montgomery, Alabama, 1973. Fresh out of nursing school, Civil Townsend intends to make a difference, especially in her African American community. At the Montgomery Family Planning Clinic, she hopes to help women shape their destinies, to make their own choices for their lives and bodies.. But when her first week on the job takes her along a dusty country road to a worn-down one-room cabin, Civil is shocked to learn that her new patients, Erica and India, are children—just eleven and thirteen years old. Neither of the Williams sisters has even kissed a boy, but they are poor and Black, and for those handling the family’s welfare benefits, that’s reason enough to have the girls on birth control. As Civil grapples with her role, she takes India, Erica, and their family into her heart. Until one day she arrives at their door to learn the unthinkable has happened, and nothing will ever be the same for any of them.. Decades later, with her daughter grown and a long career in her wake, Dr. Civil Townsend is ready to retire, to find her peace, and to leave the past behind. But there are people and stories that refuse to be forgotten. That must not be forgotten.. Because history repeats what we don’t remember.. Inspired by true events and brimming with hope, Take My Hand is a stirring exploration of accountability and redemption.

The multi-million bestselling novel about a young girl's journey towards healing and the transforming power of love, from the award-winning author of The Invention of Wings and The Book of Longings . Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's fierce-hearted Black "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to spring them both free. They escape to Tiburon, South Carolina—a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Taken in by an eccentric trio of Black beekeeping sisters, Lily is introduced to their mesmerizing world of bees and honey, and the Black Madonna. This is a remarkable novel about divine female power, a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.

A Best Book of the Year by NPR and Christian Science Monitor Called “wholly engrossing” by New York Times bestselling author Kathleen Grissom, this “fully immersive” (Lisa Wingate, #1 bestselling author of Before We Were Yours) story follows an enslaved woman forced to barter love and freedom while living in the most infamous slave jail in Virginia.. Born on a plantation in Charles City, Virginia, Pheby Delores Brown has lived a relatively sheltered life. Shielded by her mother’s position as the estate’s medicine woman and cherished by the Master’s sister, she is set apart from the others on the plantation, belonging to neither world. She’d been promised freedom on her eighteenth birthday, but instead of the idyllic life she imagined with her true love, Essex Henry, Pheby is forced to leave the only home she has ever known. She unexpectedly finds herself thrust into the bowels of slavery at the infamous Devil’s Half Acre, a jail in Richmond, Virginia, where the enslaved are broken, tortured, and sold every day. There, Pheby is exposed not just to her Jailer’s cruelty but also to his contradictions. To survive, Pheby will have to outwit him, and she soon faces the ultimate sacrifice.