Must-Read LGBTQ+ Historical Fiction

SJP Lit

Cantoras by Caro De Robertis

This is one of my all-time favorite books, and one that showed me the immense power of queer historical fiction to carve out spaces for joy and love amidst moments of real homophobic violence. In a time of great danger for queer people in 1970s Uruguay, five queer women find each other and create a refuge from their country’s military dictatorship in a beach shack on Cabo Polonio. Over the course of three decades, we see these women grow together, fall in love, experience loss and heartbreak, and find a path forward. Six years after reading Cantoras, I still can’t stop thinking about this extraordinary story.

How Much of These Hills is Gold by C Pam Zhang

This sprawling historical fiction set against the backdrop of the American gold rush stars two orphaned siblings searching for a place to bury their Chinese immigrant, gold prospector father. Sam and Lucy wander an unforgiving landscape full of hidden dangers, all while haunted by their parents’ stories of buffalo, tigers, and ghosts. C Pam Zhang’s lyrical reflections on nature, fear, gender, and family relationships make for a story that will keep you entranced from the first page to the last.

Mutual Interest by Olivia Wolfgang-Smith

Lavender marriages are a fascinating piece of LGBTQ+ history, and in Mutual Interest, Olivia Wolfgang-Smith invites readers into one such arrangement between three queer characters in New York City at the turn of the 19th century. Oscar has a talent for making high-quality soaps, but he’s stuck in a middle management role. Oscar’s rival Squire has creative ideas and access to wealth, but his quirky personality is frequently misunderstood. Vivian has the ambition and vision to see what the two men could create together. This unlikely trio builds an empire while carefully hiding what happens behind closed doors. With an atmospheric setting, a cheeky narrative voice, and three unforgettable protagonists, Mutual Interest is a queer historical fiction lover’s dream.

Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ, translated by Lin King

This historical fiction novel is presented as a translation of a newly discovered text by a famous Japanese writer, making it a fascinatingly layered story right from the beginning. Young writer Aoyama Chizuko travels to 1938 Taiwan at the invitation of the Japanese government, which has taken control of the island. But Aoyama is more interested in expanding her personal horizons than seeking literary inspiration. She’s quickly intrigued by the young Taiwanese woman hired as her interpreter, and as they travel together, their professional relationship shifts into something much more satisfying. It’s a brilliant, National Book Award-winning exploration of colonization and power.

The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr.

Robert Jones, Jr.’s remarkable debut, The Prophets, stars Isaiah and Samuel, two enslaved young men in the Deep South who find refuge from the daily violence and cruelty in their love for each other. Isaiah and Samuel carve out a space for themselves that feels healing and safe — until their enslaver’s religion takes hold across the plantation, putting their relationship at risk. Jones’ stunning prose and expansive view of this intimate love story made this book an instant classic.

The Lilac People by Milo Todd

German trans man Bertie had a comfortable life in 1930s Berlin, working under Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld at the forward-thinking Institute of Sexual Science. Then Hitler put a target on queer Germans’ backs. Bertie and his girlfriend Sofie escaped to a rural farm, where they evaded the Nazis for a decade. But when a trans man who escaped from a concentration camp appears on their property at the end of the war, they must protect him from Allied forces set on freeing all the Holocaust prisoners except the queer ones. It’s a powerful story of resilience and hope in dangerous times.

Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion by Bushra Rehman

In this poignant coming-of-age story set in 1980s Queens, a young Pakistani American searches for her true self inside and outside of the tight-knit community where she was raised. When Razia’s parents separate her from her best friend, she rebels in the ways many teenagers do: rock music, short skirts, skipping class, and making friends her parents don’t approve of. But when Razia is accepted at a competitive high school in Manhattan and falls in love with a classmate named Angela, her world expands in ways she didn’t expect — and ways that complicate her relationship to her family.

Lucky Red by Claudia Cravens

Have you ever seen a “hooker with a heart of gold” background character in a Western and wondered, What’s her story? If so, you’re going to love Lucky Red. Bridget was dramatically orphaned in 1870s rural Kansas when her father died by snakebite. She found her way to the Buffalo Queen, a women-run brothel where she builds an unexpected life for herself. But Bridget finds a new taste for adventure when she meets legendary lady gunslinger Spartan Lee. It’s a wild tale full of action, adventure, and colorful characters.

My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson

When teenage Tray runs away from his upper-class home in Indianapolis, he hopes to find a queer community in 1980s New York City. He does — but he also finds himself at the center of a world shaken by the AIDS epidemic. While growing into adulthood and building a found family, Tray finds purpose as a volunteer and activist. Rasheed Newson is also a screenwriter, and he brings a vibrant, visual style of storytelling to this funny and moving novel.

The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar

A closeted young trans man was set adrift five years ago by the unusual death of his Syrian American ornithologist mother. He finds comfort in late-night adventures in Manhattan’s Little Syria neighborhood. On one of those nights, he finds the journal of a famous Syrian American artist known for her paintings of birds who disappeared six decades prior. As the artist’s story unfurls, the young man uncovers a hidden history of trans and queer Syrians that helps him understand himself better. You’ll find yourself just as enthralled by the birds, history, and community in this book as the protagonist is.