Fascinating and engaging historical fiction about the Great Depression
It was a devastating time in American history, but there are a lot of beautiful and heartbreaking stories to tell. This selection of historical fiction books is all set in during the Great Depression and tells the stories of the people affected by and living through this time period.
If you’re looking for some great historical fiction about the Great Depression, you’ll find many great options to add to your TBR list here.
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Historical Fiction About the Great Depression
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah The epic story of a family that leaves behind devastation in Texas in the hopes of finding a better life in California.
Under the Tulip Tree by Michelle Shocklee After losing her newspaper job after the stock market crash of 1929, a young woman takes a new job interviewing former slaves for the Federal Writers’ Project.
Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris A story inspired by an actual newspaper photograph of two children for sale during the Depression.
The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes Trying to escape a stifling life in England, Alice marries American Bennett Van Cleve. Unfortunately life in Kentucky is just as hard until Alice answers the call to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library.
This Tender Land by Willian Kent Krueger This is the story of four orphans who escape the Lincoln Indian Training School in Minnesota and travel down the Mississippi River.
Palisades Park by Alan Brennert This book tells the story of a family who runs an amusement park, Palisades Park, and what happens when the world of the 1930s interferes.
Wingwalkers by Taylor Brown A World War II pilot and his wingwalking wife travel the country during the Great Depression.
Last Dance on the Starlight Pier by Sarah Bird A story of a woman swept into the world of dance marathons in Galveston, Texas during the 1930s.
The Saints of Swallow Hill by Donna Everhart In order to escape and hide, a woman tries to find anonymity in a turpentine camp.
More Historical Fiction Books aBout the Great Depression
In All Good Faith by Liza Nash Taylor A Depression-era story of two women, one trying to keep her family farm afloat and the other living in a west-end Boston tenement.
The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis A novel that takes you to the world of the glamorous Grand Central School of Art and how the Great Depression blindsided a student named Clara and led to tragedy.
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen Escaping a personal tragedy, a veterinary student joins a circus during the Depression to take care of the animals and there he finds interesting characters, secrets, and tragedy.
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson The story of Cussy Mary Carter was inspired by the blue-skinned people of Kentucky and the Kentucky Pack Horse Library System.
The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows Cut off by her Senator father, Layla must join the Federal Writers’ Project and travels to Macedonia, West Virginia where she finds a small town full of secrets.
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate A story based on a notorious true story of a Memphis-based adoption agency who would kidnap and sell poor children to wealthy families all over the country.
Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford The story of a young Chinese-American boy and his friend who are convinced a famous movie star is his long-lost mother.
The Sisters of Summit Avenue by Lynn Cullen A Depression-era story of two sisters and their bitter rivalry.
The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton DiSclafani A book that is both a love story and a family drama set in an equestrienne boarding school during the 1930s.
Do you know of any other historical fiction about the Great Depression that I should add to this list?
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Books Set in the 1930s by Book Girls’ Guide
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