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20 New Zealand Fiction Best Books to Read – The 2024 Edition

Are you looking to immerse yourself in the rich and diverse world of New Zealand fiction? Look no further! We’ve curated a list of the 20 best books on New Zealand fiction that will transport you to the stunning landscapes and captivating narratives of this beautiful country. From renowned classics to contemporary gems, these books showcase the talent and unique perspectives of New Zealand authors. Whether you’re a literary enthusiast or simply looking for your next compelling read, these New Zealand fiction books are sure to captivate and inspire.

• 1 20 Best Books About New Zealand Fiction
• 2 The Luminaries
• 3 The Bone People
• 4 Mister Pip
• 5 The Garden Party and Other Stories
• 6 The Whale Rider
• 7 The Vintner’s Luck
• 8 The Chimes
• 9 The Sound of Butterflies
• 10 The Conductor
• 11 The Wish Child
• 12 The Cage
• 13 The Hut Builder
• 14 The Last Days of the National Costume
• 15 Once Were Warriors
• 16 Whale Rider
• 17 The Book of Fame
• 18 The Garden Party
• 19 The Parihaka Woman
• 20 The Imaginary Lives of James Pōneke
• 21 The Antipodeans
• 22 Conclusion

20 Best Books About New Zealand Fiction

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The Luminaries

By eleanor catton.

The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton is a captivating book on New Zealand fiction that takes readers on a mesmerizing journey through the 19th-century gold rush in the town of Hokitika. The story unfolds with a complex web of interconnected characters, mysterious events, and a gripping murder investigation that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Catton’s intricate storytelling and richly developed characters bring the vibrant setting of New Zealand to life, immersing readers in its history and culture. With its intricate plot and beautifully crafted prose, this New Zealand fiction book is a page-turner that will leave readers spellbound until the very last page. The Luminaries is a must-read for anyone looking for a compelling book about New Zealand fiction that seamlessly weaves together mystery, intrigue, and historical drama.

The Bone People

By keri hulme.

The Bone People by Keri Hulme is a captivating book on New Zealand fiction that weaves together the lives of three unlikely individuals in a remote coastal town. The story follows the complex relationships and struggles of a mute boy, a mysterious woman, and a troubled man as they navigate their past traumas and find solace in each other’s company. Hulme’s lyrical prose and vivid storytelling bring the rugged beauty of the New Zealand landscape to life, immersing readers in a world both familiar and mysterious. With its exploration of Maori culture, spirituality, and the human condition, this book about New Zealand fiction offers a unique and compelling narrative that is both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant. The Bone People is a must-read for anyone seeking a powerful and evocative New Zealand fiction book.

by Lloyd Jones

Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones is a captivating book about New Zealand fiction that tells the story of Matilda, a young girl living on a war-torn island in the Pacific. When a mysterious man named Mr. Watts begins to read Great Expectations by Charles Dickens to the local children, Matilda becomes enraptured by the story and finds solace in its pages. As the conflict on the island escalates, Mr. Watts uses the power of storytelling to transport the children to another world, offering them a much-needed escape from the harsh realities of their surroundings. Jones weaves a powerful narrative that explores the transformative power of literature and the resilience of the human spirit. This book on New Zealand fiction is a poignant and thought-provoking tale that will resonate with readers long after they have turned the final page.

The Garden Party and Other Stories

By katherine mansfield.

The Garden Party and Other Stories by Katherine Mansfield is a classic collection of short stories that delves into the complexities of human nature and relationships. Set against the backdrop of early 20th century New Zealand, Mansfield’s vivid and evocative storytelling captures the essence of the country’s landscape and culture. Each story offers a glimpse into the lives of the characters, exploring themes of social class, family dynamics, and personal growth. The collection has been hailed as a seminal work in the realm of New Zealand fiction, showcasing Mansfield’s keen insight and literary prowess. With its timeless exploration of universal themes, The Garden Party and Other Stories continues to captivate readers with its rich and immersive portrayal of life in New Zealand.

The Whale Rider

By witi ihimaera.

The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera is a captivating book on New Zealand fiction that tells the story of a young Maori girl, Kahu, who defies traditional gender roles to fulfill her destiny as the leader of her tribe. Set in the stunning backdrop of New Zealand’s East Coast, the novel explores themes of tradition, identity, and the interconnectedness of humans and nature. As Kahu struggles to gain the acceptance of her grandfather and the wider community, she forms a deep bond with a stranded whale, drawing on the ancient legend of the whale rider to prove her worth. Ihimaera’s lyrical prose and rich cultural insights make this a compelling read for anyone interested in Maori culture and the power of resilience.

The Vintner’s Luck

By elizabeth knox.

The Vintner’s Luck by Elizabeth Knox is a captivating book about New Zealand fiction that tells the story of a young vintner, Sobran Jodeau, who has a chance encounter with a mysterious angel named Xas. Set in 19th century Burgundy, the novel explores the complex relationship between the mortal and immortal, as Sobran and Xas meet every year on the same night to share their joys and sorrows. As the years pass, their bond deepens and their lives become intertwined in unexpected ways. Knox’s lyrical prose and richly detailed world-building make this book on New Zealand fiction a compelling read, blending elements of historical fiction, romance, and fantasy. The Vintner’s Luck is a beautifully crafted tale that delves into themes of love, destiny, and the pursuit of happiness, making it a must-read for fans of new Zealand fiction.

by Anna Smaill

The Chimes by Anna Smaill is a captivating book about New Zealand fiction that takes readers on a mesmerizing journey through a dystopian world. Set in a post-apocalyptic London, the novel follows the story of Simon, a young man who has lost his memory and must rely on the mysterious power of music to navigate through a society where memory is forbidden. As Simon unravels the secrets of his past, he discovers the true power of music and its ability to shape the world around him. Smaill’s lyrical prose and vivid imagery create a haunting and immersive reading experience, making The Chimes a must-read for fans of books on New Zealand fiction. This New Zealand fiction book is a compelling blend of fantasy, mystery, and adventure that will leave readers spellbound until the very last page.

The Sound of Butterflies

By rachael king.

The Sound of Butterflies by Rachael King is a captivating book on New Zealand fiction that weaves together mystery, love, and adventure. Set in the late 19th century, the story follows Thomas Edgar, a young naturalist who embarks on a journey to the Amazon rainforest in search of a rare butterfly. As he delves deeper into the jungle, he becomes entangled in a web of secrets, danger, and forbidden love. King’s vivid prose brings the lush landscapes of both New Zealand and the Amazon to life, creating a rich and immersive reading experience. With its blend of historical detail and compelling characters, this book about New Zealand fiction is sure to transport readers to another time and place, while keeping them on the edge of their seats until the very end.

The Conductor

By sarah quigley.

The Conductor by Sarah Quigley is a captivating book on New Zealand fiction that transports readers to the tumultuous world of World War II. The novel follows the remarkable true story of renowned Russian conductor, Dimitri Shostakovich, as he navigates the oppressive regime of Stalin’s Soviet Union. As Shostakovich struggles to preserve his artistic integrity and evade the brutal gaze of the government, he finds an unlikely ally in New Zealand-born, Freddie Page. The novel beautifully weaves together the lives of these two men, offering an intimate portrayal of their friendship and the power of music in the face of tyranny. With its rich historical detail and compelling characters, this book about New Zealand fiction is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeply moving and thought-provoking story. Quigley’s prose is both lyrical and evocative, making this New Zealand fiction book a truly unforgettable read.

The Wish Child

By catherine chidgey.

The Wish Child by Catherine Chidgey is a captivating book on New Zealand fiction that follows the intertwined lives of two children, as they navigate the tumultuous years of World War II in Germany. With lyrical prose and vivid imagery, Chidgey weaves a haunting tale of resilience, survival, and the enduring power of hope in the face of adversity. Through the perspectives of the two children, the novel explores the impact of war on innocence, identity, and the human spirit. The rich historical detail and the depth of the characters make this book about New Zealand fiction a poignant and unforgettable read. Chidgey’s masterful storytelling and evocative language will transport readers to a time and place that is both distant and familiar, leaving a lasting impression.

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The Cage by Lloyd Jones is a captivating book on New Zealand fiction that delves into the complexities of human relationships and the power dynamics within a small community. Set in a fictional New Zealand town, the novel follows the lives of its inhabitants as they navigate love, loss, and the constraints of societal expectations. Jones’ prose is beautifully crafted, drawing readers into the intricacies of the characters’ emotions and motivations. The story is rich with symbolism and allegory, offering a thought-provoking exploration of human nature and the ways in which individuals seek freedom and fulfillment. With its evocative storytelling and compelling narrative, The Cage is a must-read for anyone seeking a profound and immersive book about New Zealand fiction.

The Hut Builder

By laurence fearnley.

The Hut Builder by Laurence Fearnley is a captivating book on New Zealand fiction that follows the story of Boden, a skilled hut builder, as he navigates the rugged landscapes of New Zealand’s South Island. Fearnley’s exquisite prose vividly brings to life the stunning natural beauty of the country, as well as the complexities of human relationships and the challenges of living in isolation. The novel delves into themes of resilience, connection to the land, and the pursuit of freedom, making it a compelling book about New Zealand fiction. Fearnley’s evocative storytelling and rich character development make The Hut Builder a must-read for anyone interested in New Zealand fiction books and those who appreciate immersive, lyrical writing that transports them to another world.

The Last Days of the National Costume

By anne kennedy.

The Last Days of the National Costume by Anne Kennedy is a captivating book about New Zealand fiction that explores the complexities of love, culture, and tradition. Set in 1990s Wellington, the story follows the life of a young woman named Alex, who is navigating her way through a changing world while trying to hold onto her family’s traditional values. As Alex grapples with her own desires and the expectations of her family and society, the novel delves into the rich tapestry of New Zealand’s cultural heritage. Anne Kennedy’s poignant storytelling and vivid descriptions bring the sights, sounds, and emotions of Wellington to life, making this a compelling read for anyone interested in New Zealand fiction. The Last Days of the National Costume is a beautifully written and thought-provoking book about New Zealand fiction that will leave a lasting impression on its readers.

Once Were Warriors

By alan duff.

Once Were Warriors is a powerful and raw book about New Zealand fiction that delves into the harsh realities of urban Maori life. Written by Alan Duff, the novel follows the Hekes, a dysfunctional family struggling with poverty, violence, and abuse. The story is a poignant exploration of the impact of colonization and cultural displacement on indigenous communities, and the challenges of preserving identity and tradition in a modern world. Through vivid and compelling storytelling, Duff offers a glimpse into the complexities of Maori society, and the profound effects of intergenerational trauma. Once Were Warriors is a captivating and thought-provoking read that sheds light on the struggles and resilience of Maori people, making it a must-read for anyone interested in New Zealand fiction.

Whale Rider

Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera is a captivating book on New Zealand fiction that follows the story of a young Maori girl named Kahu. Set in the small coastal village of Whangara, the novel explores the traditional beliefs and customs of the Maori people, as well as the struggle for identity and acceptance.

As the only surviving child of the chief, Kahu faces the challenge of proving herself to her grandfather, who is determined to uphold the male lineage. With courage and determination, she sets out to fulfill her destiny as the leader of her people, and ultimately, the guardian of the sacred whales.

This book about New Zealand fiction beautifully weaves together themes of tradition, modernity, and the enduring bond between humans and nature. Ihimaera’s rich storytelling and vivid depiction of Maori culture make Whale Rider a truly unforgettable read for anyone interested in New Zealand fiction books.

The Book of Fame

The Book of Fame by Lloyd Jones is an exhilarating and unique book about New Zealand fiction. It tells the captivating story of the 1905 All Blacks rugby tour of the British Isles and France. Jones weaves together fact and fiction, exploring the lives of the team members and the impact of their journey on both the sporting world and New Zealand society. Through vivid prose and imaginative storytelling, Jones brings to life the spirit of the players and the excitement of the tour, offering readers a fascinating glimpse into a pivotal moment in New Zealand’s history. This book on New Zealand fiction is a must-read for sports enthusiasts, history buffs, and anyone looking for a fresh perspective on the power of sport and national identity.

The Garden Party

The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield is a classic book on New Zealand fiction that explores the themes of social class, privilege, and the nature of life and death. Set in early 20th century New Zealand, the story follows the Sheridan family as they prepare for a lavish garden party, while a tragic event in the nearby working-class neighborhood threatens to overshadow the festivities. Through the eyes of the young protagonist, Laura, Mansfield delivers a poignant and thought-provoking commentary on the disparities between the rich and poor, and the complexities of human emotions. The novella is a compelling exploration of the human experience, making it a must-read for anyone interested in books about New Zealand fiction or those who enjoy thought-provoking literary works.

The Parihaka Woman

The Parihaka Woman by Witi Ihimaera is a captivating book on New Zealand fiction that tells the story of Erenora, a young Maori woman who becomes entwined in the tumultuous events surrounding the Parihaka community in the 19th century. As she navigates love, loss, and the struggle for Maori rights, Erenora’s resilience and determination shine through, making her a compelling and inspiring protagonist. Ihimaera’s rich storytelling and vivid portrayal of Maori culture and history bring the setting to life, immersing readers in a world of tradition, spirituality, and the fight for justice. The Parihaka Woman is a poignant and powerful book about New Zealand fiction that explores themes of identity, resistance, and the enduring strength of the human spirit.

The Imaginary Lives of James Pōneke

By tina makereti.

The Imaginary Lives of James Pōneke by Tina Makereti is a captivating book about New Zealand fiction that follows the story of a young Māori boy who travels to Victorian London in the 19th century. The novel explores themes of identity, culture, and the clash between traditional beliefs and the modern world. Through a blend of historical fiction and magical realism, Makereti weaves a compelling narrative that delves into the complexities of colonialism and the impact it has on indigenous communities. The protagonist’s journey is both poignant and thought-provoking, offering a unique perspective on the intersection of cultures and the struggle for self-discovery. With rich storytelling and vivid imagery, this New Zealand fiction book is a must-read for anyone interested in diverse and engaging literature.

The Antipodeans

By greg mcgee.

The Antipodeans by Greg McGee is a captivating book on New Zealand fiction that delves into the lives of a family across three generations. Set against the backdrop of significant historical events, the novel explores the complexities of love, loyalty, and identity. McGee’s vivid storytelling and rich character development draw readers into the lives of the Antipodean family as they navigate through the challenges of life in both New Zealand and Europe. With its beautifully detailed settings and emotionally resonant narrative, this book about New Zealand fiction offers a compelling exploration of the human experience within the unique context of New Zealand’s history and culture. The Antipodeans is a must-read for anyone seeking a thought-provoking and immersive New Zealand fiction book.

Exploring the rich literary landscape of New Zealand Fiction through these 20 best books about New Zealand fiction is a rewarding journey. From historical narratives to contemporary tales, these books offer a diverse and immersive experience of the country’s culture, history, and society. Whether you’re a fan of classic literature or seeking new voices, these books showcase the depth and complexity of New Zealand fiction, making them essential additions to any reading list.

Which New Zealand Fiction book is best?

The best book on New Zealand Fiction can vary with personal preference, but three widely recommended titles are:

• The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton ,
• The Bone People by Keri Hulme ,
• Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones .

Each offers valuable insights and could be a great starting point.

What are the best books to learn about New Zealand Fiction?

For those looking to learn about New Zealand Fiction, there is a wealth of literature that can provide a comprehensive understanding of the subject. Some of the most highly recommended books include:

• Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones ,
• The Garden Party and Other Stories by Katherine Mansfield ,
• The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera ,
• The Vintner’s Luck by Elizabeth Knox ,
• The Chimes by Anna Smaill ,
• The Sound of Butterflies by Rachael King ,
• The Conductor by Sarah Quigley ,
• The Wish Child by Catherine Chidgey

These books offer a range of perspectives on New Zealand Fiction, covering various aspects and approaches to the subject.

What are the best books on New Zealand Fiction?

The best books on New Zealand Fiction include:

• The Cage by Lloyd Jones ,
• The Hut Builder by Laurence Fearnley ,
• The Vintner’s Luck by Elizabeth Knox .

Each offers unique insights into the subject. While these books on the topic of New Zealand Fiction are highly regarded, it’s important to note that any list of ‘best’ books is subjective and reflects a range of opinions.

What are the best New Zealand Fiction books of all time?

Choosing the best New Zealand Fiction books of all time can vary depending on who you ask, but seven titles that are often celebrated include

• The Wish Child by Catherine Chidgey ,
• and The Cage by Lloyd Jones .

Each of these books has made a significant impact in the field of New Zealand Fiction and continues to be influential today.

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Academy of New Zealand Literature

Our Many Pasts: Historical Fiction

In a 2006 piece for Historical Novel Society, Loren Teague decreed that historical fiction had come of age in New Zealand: many of our bestsellers and top literary prizes hailed from the genre, including Fiona Kidman’s The Captive Wife (2005), a classic retelling of the story of Betty Guard’s captivity by Ngāti Ruanui Māori, and Jenny Pattrick’s first novel, The Denniston Rose (2003) and its sequel, Heart of Coal (2004), landmark bestsellers, stirring a new interest in historical fiction among publishers and readers.

The Vintner’s Luck (1999) by Elizabeth Knox , set in early nineteenth-century France, had already achieved bestseller status in New Zealand and attracted considerable attention overseas. Novels like Maurice Shadbolt’s Season of the Jew (1986)  – an account of the story of the leader Te Kooti, told from the perspective of one of his pursuers – and Believers to the Bright Coast (1998) by Vincent O’Sullivan had also received critical acclaim; both are still considered classics in the genre. Witi Ihimaera’s The Matriarch (1986) was a watershed publication of historical fiction in New Zealand.

The most visible internationally is The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton , set on South Island goldfields in the 1860s, not far from Pattrick’s mining town of Denniston. The Luminaries – Catton’s second novel – won the Man Booker Prize in 2013 and the fiction prize at the NZ Post Book Awards in 2014. A BBC television series based on the book, filmed on the West Coast of the South Island and starring Eve Hewson, Himesh Patel and  Top of the Lake ‘s Ewen Leslie, is due to be released in 2020.

An appetite for historical fiction, both in popular and literary fiction, continues to grow. Sales of The Denniston Rose are over 60,000 domestically. Over the past two decades, New Zealand’s top fiction award has gone to historical novels twelve times – including The Book of Fame (published 2000) by Lloyd Jones , about the 1905 New Zealand rugby tour of Britain and Ireland; Alison Wong’s As The Earth Turns Silver (2009), the first historical novel to chronicle the experience of Chinese migrants to New Zealand; and Kirsty Gunn’s The Big Music (2012), set in Scotland and presented as a collection of found papers. The most recent winner is Fiona Kidman , awarded the $50,000 Acorn Foundation Prize for Fiction for This Mortal Boy at the 2019 Ockham NZ Book Awards. With sales in the genre still relatively robust, historical fiction may be emerging as the defining genre in our contemporary literary culture.  So dominant is the genre that in his review of The Luminaries in the New Zealand Listener , Guy Somerset questioned whether ‘Catton is [yet] another New Zealand writer escaping into the past’.

Historical  fiction might seem like an unlikely candidate for its recent success. Virginia Woolf believed that while there was a kind of veracity in both fiction as well as historical chronicle, the two breeds of truth could not be joined in the same text. ‘Truth of fact and truth of fiction are incompatible,’ she wrote, unhappy with the invention employed by Lytton Strachey in his ‘history’ Elizabeth and Essex . In this era of alternative facts and ‘fake news’, Woolf’s concern for the incompatibility of history and fiction has a contemporary ring: if we don’t keep our facts and fictions clearly divided, we run the profound risk of allowing almost anything at all to be read as historical reality. To lose sight of what really happened in the past is akin to abandoning our ancestors, and, by implication, to lose our links to who we are now. As the ghost of Nanny reminds Connie, the protagonist of Kelly Ana Morey’s dual contemporary/historical novel Bloom (2003), ‘That’s your job, Connie. To remember. To keep the home fires burning’.

With its emphasis on narrative over veracity, historical fiction – in New Zealand and elsewhere – often takes poetic license. British critic Stephanie Merritt, who writes an historical thriller series under the pen name of S. J. Parris, maintains that historical novelists must get their research right before playing ‘fast and loose with historical fact’. But their first loyalty is to the ‘vigour’ of the story they’re telling. Novelists, she contends , ‘are not history teachers. It’s not our job to educate people, and if we start using words like “duty” and “responsibility” about historical fiction – or any fiction – we’re in danger of leaching all the vigour out of it with a sense of worthiness’.

Does historical fiction allow an escape from reality or promote a confrontation with it? Hugh, the narrator of C. K. Stead’s The Singing Whakapapa (1994), seems to seek the former: ‘But there was for Hugh, always had been, the solace of history, the shapeliness of narrative, the comfort of retrospect, of the long look back’ . An unprincipled version of this impulse can manifest itself as cultural reimagining grounded in revision, omission, detachment, or even amnesia. ‘Historical fiction’, critic Mark Williams writes in his article ‘Repetitious Beginnings: New Zealand History in the Late 1980s’, ‘can easily serve as a kind of travel literature in which the past figures as exotic territory to be interpreted in terms of the familiar world left behind; the result is usually the reinforcing of favourite myths rather than their banishment.’

Williams’ warning reminds us of the authority invested in historical accounts. As versions of the past that associate themselves with truth, narratives shape the way we approach both the past and the present. In Aotearoa New Zealand, our engagement with the past remains open, continent, and hotly contested, as was evident in the 2018 incident in which Massey University banned Hobson’s Pledge advocate Don Brash from speaking as part of the university’s move to become Treaty-led. At one level, every historical novel is, in fact, a novel about history itself: what it is, where it is, and to whom it belongs, and where it ends . In a bi-cultural society where one culture’s dominance arose from historical violence against the other, it might be said that any account of this history from a Pākehā point-of-view must always be a story grounded in the prior fact of this violence. In his 2002 essay ‘Being Colonial/Colonial Being’, Stephen Turner argues:

Stories about being colonial/colonial being are always something of a cover-up. Such stories mask, or bridge, an historical discontinuity (that there is a before and after your arrival). Whether these narratives are historical and/or fictional and/or personal, they provide an illusionary continuity, a more or less seamless sense of place and history.

Photo credit: Kelly Ana Morey

Pākehā accounts of history arise out of a position of cultural dominance and almost inevitably shape their narratives as ways to shore up this dominance. Even in the transition from the oral culture of pre-European Aotearoa to the written culture introduced by the early missionaries, there is a kind of erasure, a loss that registers as something askew in the fabric of written historical accounts. In the experimental historical novel They Who Do Not Grieve (2001), Samoan writer Sia Figiel reminds us of the inevitable erasure inflicted by the act (and inevitable omissions) of writing. ‘My only advice to you: Don’t Write Anything Down’, Grandma Lalolagi tells the protagonist Malu. ‘It’s the easiest (and surest) way to forget things’.

Witi Ihimaera’s The Matriarch (1986) spans decades of family and iwi history, combining historical documents with myth, operatic interludes, as well as more conventional modes of fiction. The novel is underpinned, Mark Williams contends in   Leaving the Highway (1990), by Ihimaera’s ‘need to show how the wholeness, connection, and meaning he finds at the heart of traditional Maori life were subsumed under the brokenness, alienation, and loss that have permeated and shaped Maori life since colonisation’. In The Matriarch , Ihimaera’s primary subject is the erasure of or ‘cover up’ cited by Turner, and the narrator is direct in his recognition of the bearing a storyteller’s history and ethnicity have on the construction of a tale, regardless of whether it is had been designated as history or fiction: ‘All truth is fiction really, for the teller tells it as he sees it, and it might be different from some other teller. This is why histories often vary, depending on whether you are the conquerer or not’ (Ihimaera The Matriarch 403).

In addition to addressing the overwhelming impact of colonisation on Māori life and identity, Ihimaera employs a form in The Matriarch that grounds his epic in culturally appropriate aesthetics and cosmology. In his author’s note to the revised edition of The Matriarch (2009), he explains that in ‘both The Matriarch and The Dream Swimmer [the sequel to The Matriarch ] I had devised a structural framework for all the material, based on the Maori concept of the koru or spiral’.

The structural or formal aspects of historical fiction by some Māori authors are often linked to an underlying exploration of an aesthetics grounded in cultural traditions and mythology. In an interview with Adam Dudding for the Academy of New Zealand Literature , Patricia Grace spoke about the interweaving of narrative strands in her novels. In foregrounding her own relationship to the structure of the narrative, Grace described a process that many critics have claimed is grounded in the aesthetics and cosmology of a Māori worldview:

I have tried to explain before how I position myself in the writing. I don’t have a sense, when I begin a new work, of standing at the beginning of a long road and looking along it to an end. Instead I have a sense of sitting in the middle of something – like sitting in the centre of a set of circles or a spiral – and reaching out to these outer circles, in any direction, and bringing stuff in.

History and the living presence of Māori mythology may be traced through all of Grace’s fiction. Tu (2004) chronicles the grueling experiences of the Māori Battalion in and around Cassino, Italy during World War II. A critically acclaimed and popular book, Tu is perhaps more conventional in its structure than Grace’s other novels, but it incorporates spiraling timelines and historical research, including material from archives, military reports, publically available diaries, and personal family history.

Some Pākehā authors of historical fiction have managed to negotiate the mythologising of history in Aotearoa without masking the discontinuity of the colonial invasion. Rather than writing historical novels grounded in the fantasy of cultural coherence or reconciliation, such narratives imagine historical disruption and often highlight the act of violence or erasure embedded in the act of telling. In a review of the historical novels R. H. I. (2015) by Tim Corballis and Trifecta (2015) by Ian Wedde , author Hamish Clayton describes this dual nature of historical fiction:

. . . any narratives designed to sketch history are themselves gestures which also erase history. Telling a story might feel like a constructive act, but it always comes at an ironic expense: the story which seems to represent the thing itself is only ever another layer of mediation between perception and reality.

Clayton’s own debut historical novel, Wulf (2011), seems aware of this dual nature of historical. Narrating the historical incident in which the Ngāti Toa rangatira Te Rauparaha hired the brig Elizabeth to launch a sneak attack on Ngai Tahu at Akaroa Harbour, Clayton’s novel embraces both Pākehā and Māori storytelling traditions.

Tina Makereti’s novel The Imaginary Lives of James P ō neke (2018) narrates an imagined version of the story of the historical figure of James Pōneke, a young Māori man who agrees to work as a ‘professional spectacle’ in Victorian London, spending his days as part of an exhibition of exotic treasures in the Egyptian Hall. The novel is self-consciously an escape into the pageantry and spectacle of London, and in case we mistake it for a proper historical narrative, Makereti reproduces the two-page account of James, or Hēmi, Pōneke from 1847 edition of The New Zealander and pens an author’s note explicitly marking the novel as fiction: ‘I reproduce [the article from The New Zealander ] here so that it is clear that the rest of the story is made up. This novel in no way represents the real historical figure’.

While the character’s liberation from historical constraints clearly locates The Imaginary Lives of James P ō neke in the genre of fiction, it also renders the historical and contemporary commentary all the more poignant. Maggie Trapp in her Listener review suggested that the ‘plot speaks to us now as it also wrestles with the constraints of the era it’s set in. This is a story of two worlds, 2018 and 1846, just as James is of two worlds, Aotearoa and England.’

Painting by Charles Heaphy: Bream Head, Whangarei. c1855 Watercolour.

Of course, much historical fiction in New Zealand incorporates certain conventions of the genre, from the long sea voyage (often plucked wholesale from the pages of an unpublished old diary), to the confrontation between Māori attired in dogskin and pounamu and colonials outfitted in oilskin and corsets. Some books, however, navigate a less familiar course. Perhaps one of the most dramatic formal experiments in the genre remains Ian Wedde’s Symmes Hole (1986), which narrates the parallel stories of a contemporary researcher and the nineteenth-century shore whaler James ‘Worser’ Heberely, a virtuoso exercise in deconstructed voice and a lacunae-like narrative structure.

Other escapes from the conventions of historical fiction turn to yet other iterations of the twinned present and past parallel narrative structure – including Tim Corballis’ The Fossils Pits (2005), Rachael King’s Magpie Hall (2009), and Witi Ihimaera’s The Parihaka Woman (2011).

Another notable example of the twinned contemporary/historical novel is Paula Morris’s Queen of Beauty (2002). At the launch of Morris’s novel Rangatira (2011), Steve Braunias lamented the genre’s reputation:

We have to call it that because it’s true, but it seems a shame. Historical novel – the term itself is like mildew, something stale and unfortunate, old news. And it’s even worse when you say ‘New Zealand historical novel’. You instantly think, oh God, here we go, petticoats and pounamu, Penguin and plagiarism. You think, no fun.

While Rangatira does challenge many of the conventions of historical fiction—particularly by turning the gazing eye of the Māori narrator upon the European—Morris’s Queen of Beauty (2002) works toward nothing less than a subversion of the form by interweaving open-ended and largely discursive contemporary and historical stories. The novel begins with a brief historical incident of a water rescue that works as a backdrop for both the narratives that follow. Virginia, the story’s protagonist, is employed in New Orleans as a research assistant to the successful American historical novelist Margaret Dean O’Clare. Virginia’s description of her role as the provider of ‘the facts and dates and events to hang the story on’ serves as metafictional comment on the familiar structure of some historical fiction: ‘Virginia thought of it as one of those elaborate organisational systems for closets. She was to provide the shelves and rails and sliding baskets. Margaret would fill them with expensive clothes’.

Even without shedding the familiar trappings of crinoline and sea voyages, historical fictional can offer an encounter with history in ways that challenge the strict dichotomy between escape and confrontation. In my own historical novel, The Naturalist (2014), for example, I chronicle the 1839 visit of naturalist Ernst Dieffenbach to New Zealand as part of the New Zealand Company’s land-buying expedition in the Marlborough Sounds, Wellington, and Whanganui.

Out of the tropes of the long sea voyage and lost visionary, my intention was to resuscitate the historical figure of Dieffenbach and offer a more nuanced version of the early interactions of colonials and Māori. In the ethnography portion of his own Travels in New Zealand (1843), Dieffenbach advocated for complete equality between peoples, writing, ‘I am of the opinion that man, in his desires, passions, and intellectual faculties, is the same’. A longer version of Dieffenbach’s quotation serves as the epigraph to The Naturalist , and my hope is that it frames ‘the novel as one that asks readers to reassess notions of a New Zealand past that was less progressive and less intellectually sophisticated than the present’.

Also based on the story of a real-life historical figure, Annamarie Jagose’s Slow Water (2004), challenges historical conceptions of sexuality and romance. Set almost entirely during a four-month sea voyage from England to Australia in 1836, Jagose’s novel depicts the love affair between English clergyman William Yates and third mate Edwin Dennison in a style that fuses the lyricism of nineteenth language with the density of more contemporary prose, creating a sea-bound world in which social mores fall away to reveal an unexpected eroticism.

Other recent titles include: Lawrence Patchett’s I Got His Blood on Me (2012), a collection of historical short fiction exploring encounters with the past; Tina Makereti’s Where the Rēkohu Bone Sings (2014), the first historical novel set on the Chatham Islands/ Rēkohu; Fiona Kidman’s All Day at the Movies (2016), spanning 55 years of social and cultural history; and Fiona Farrell’s Decline & Fall on Savage Street (2017), an experimental historical novel recounting a century of the history occurring on a single spot of earth in Christchurch.

Notable works of historical fiction by Kiwis set in other countries include C. K. Stead’s My Name was Judas (2006), a re-telling of the story of Jesus’s life from the perspective of Judas; Damien Wilkin’s Max Gate  (2013), a chronicle of the last days of Thomas Hardy’s life in Dorset; Patrick Evan’s Salt Picnic (2017), a novel set on the island of Ibiza in the era of Francisco Franco’s Spain; and Mandy Hager’s Heloise (2017), an unauthorised but historically accurate re-telling of the story of the medieval French lovers Heloise and Abelard.

The secret at the heart of historical fiction is the unsolvable and alluring mystery of the past itself, and historical novels offer us confrontation with truth on imaginative terms. In the pages of the best historical fiction we are offered the possibility of truth and the promise of escape in a single gesture. In Fiona Kidman’s This Mortal Boy (2018), Kathleen, the mother of the eponymous boy walks Belfast thinking of her son, Albert, accused of murder on the other side of the world. Kathleen makes her way to St. George’s Church, a petition to spare her son’s life tucked inside an apron pocket, and she is returned to the lost River Farset that flows unseen beneath her:

The walk along High Street always makes her think of the River Farset that flows under the pavement, the water completely shrouded on its journey toward the junction with the River Lagan. She has never seen this river, it was covered over long before she was born, but just the idea of it there in the dark beneath her feet makes her imagine things that lie below the surface.

Here, the memory of the River Farset is an image of history that is lost but still open to the prospect of narrative, like the stream that still runs below Queen Street in Auckland, the novel’s other setting. As Kidman writes, ‘just the idea of it there in the dark’ is enough to unlock imagination. As the memory of the watercourse sparks Kathleen to recollect all that remains unseen, so historical fiction renders anew the living absences of our many pasts.

Thom Conroy is the author of The Naturalist (2014) and The Salted Air (2016). He is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at Massey University, and edited the 2017 anthology Home .

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15 Best Books Set in New Zealand

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If you like to read and perhaps you are preparing for your trip to New Zealand or you simply really like this country, here you will find a list of books that you can start devouring to get involved in its culture and landscapes.

New Zealand is a popular tourist destination that has inspired many tales through the years. The country’s literature perfectly captures all facets of its landscapes and people, from the cultural to the natural.

In Maori, it is known as Aotearoa (“Land of the Great White Cloud”). NZ is a country on the continent of Oceania, separated from Australia by 2000 km of ocean. It is made up of several islands, with much of its population on two main islands: the North Island and the South Island.

A very interesting fact is that New Zealand was the last territory discovered by Europeans and also the one that was later inhabited by humans. Maori culture is the heart of New Zealand. In it reside the values of the first humans who inhabited these islands, and although they now live in cities and towns, they have preserved their language and traditions.

Add these stories to your to-read list. The list contains fiction, non-fiction, children’s, and young adult books!

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Novels and Fiction set in New Zealand

The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

In this book, Eleanor Catton shows a part of Victorian New Zealand. Set in New Zealand’s South Island in 1866, the novel follows a young Walter Moody who has come to make his fortune in New Zealand’s goldfields.

Instead, he stumbles into a tense meeting between twelve local men and is drawn into a complex mystery involving a series of unsolved crimes: a wealthy man has vanished, a prostitute has tried to end her life, and an enormous fortune has been discovered in the home of a luckless drunk.

The novel’s structure is based on the system of Western astrology, with each of the twelve local men representing one of the twelve signs of the zodiac, and with another set of characters representing planets in the solar system.

Buy on Amazon | View in Goodreads

The Bone People by Keri Hulme

The story is set in New Zealand and is about three emotionally wounded but sympathetic characters: a man, a woman, and a child.

Each character carries a personal story of fear, suffering, and twisted emotions. As they struggle to discover what love is and how to find it, they have a long way to go to accept that they don’t deserve to be alone and that they can find happiness, family, and friendship.

The book forces the reader to consider the complexity of human behavior and how thin the line between love and abuse can be.

The Colour by Rose Tremain

Set in New Zealand in the mid-nineteenth century, The Colour is a historical fiction that displays the beauty and hardship of a newly colonized land. 

The story begins with the arrival of newlyweds Joseph and Harriet, along with Joseph’s mother, in New Zealand to start a new life after some unpleasant events in England.

When Joseph finds gold in a creek bed, he hides the discovery from both his wife and mother and becomes obsessed with the riches awaiting him, even if he must leave his farm and his family.

In the book, Rose Tremain gets deep inside the hearts and minds of the characters, sifting through their hopes and despairs and secret motivations.

Died in the Wool by Ngaio Marsh

For mystery fans, this novel will be a great option to pick. The story is set on the South Island of New Zealand at the time of World War II.

Over a year after a missing woman, Florence Rubrick turns up dead and packed into a bale of wool from her own wool farm, Roderick Alleyn is called to help solve the mystery.

After many witness interviews and investigations of suspects, Alleyn sets a trap to catch a murderer and a spy. The trap works but who will be found in it and why?

 A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh

A thriller/suspense story about the secrets that rest in small towns where everyone thinks they know everyone but where there are dangerous secrets.

Anahera Rawiri left New Zealand at twenty-one, fleeing small-town poverty and the ghosts of her childhood with no plans to look back. But eight years later, she returns.

Shortly after her arrival, a local woman named Miriama Hinewai Tutaia vanishes while jogging. At first, people assume she was injured or got lost in the forest, but when a search party fails to find her the community fears the worst.

Will Gallagher is a police detective recently assigned to Golden Cove, leading a search that quickly escalates into an official investigation after this case is connected with similar ones from the past.

Wild Journeys by Bruce Ansley

Bruce Ansley captures the essence of wild NZ with his and others’ experiences, retracing the steps of those mainly long gone.

Including stories like the mythical path to Erewhon, George Wilder’s prison escape route through the volcanic plateau, the Maori prophet, and faith-healer Rua Hepetipa’s track in the Ureweras, searching for the grey ghost in Fiordland or finding New Zealand’s most remote gold-mining settlement and surviving the graveyard trip on the Bluebridge ferry.

Non-fiction books about New Zealand

The Happy Isles Of Oceania by Paul Theroux

In this book, the American writer recounts his experiences on the long journey through the South Pacific. With a kayak, he embarks on an 18-month tour in which he visits 51 different islands.

Starting in the New Zealand rainforests where he treks (on the Routeburn Track), he learns about Maori culture, admires the country’s beautiful landscapes, and interacts with fellow travelers and New Zealanders. Until he reaches the coast of Hawaii where he ends his journey.

If you are interested in the islands of the South Pacific, you will probably enjoy this book.

100 Amazing Tales from Aotearoa by S. Morton and R. Hotere

Writing a book about museums must be almost as difficult as designing the museum itself. But the authors have done an amazing and very interesting job of compiling 100 short stories about the exhibits.

The book is a behind-the-scenes look at the most prized pieces at the Te Papa Tongarewa museum in New Zealand.

It’s a book that will appeal to adults and children alike because the combination of information and entertainment is perfect.

We Can Make A Life by Chessie Henry

Spanning a family history of adventure, love, bravery, and loss, Chessie Henry writes tenderly about her family’s journey through multiple traumatic experiences – including the Christchurch and Kaikōura earthquakes – and their unbending courage in the face of them.

The book opens with an email from Christopher Henry, Chessie’s father, describing his burnout following years of non-stop work as a rural doctor. But it is not only a call for help from Chris, the letter is a warning against the overwork of the New Zealand medical personnel.

From there, Chessie begins to recount pieces of her family history, before and during her existence as her daughter in that family. The result is a neatly ordered memoir: each chapter tells a segment of the family story.

In summary, We Can Make a Life is a beautiful, thought-provoking, and brave memoir that many readers in New Zealand and around the world will connect with.

The Penguin History of New Zealand by Michael King

If you want to know practically anything about New Zealand or anyone of consequence to its history, Michael King is your reference source.

The author keeps a great balance between the Maori, Pakeha, and European perspectives. King begins by describing prehistoric New Zealand. He describes its geological and biological history, its unique and impressive indigenous lifeforms, and the mythology of the earliest human occupants.

From there, King moves forward covering New Zealand history in chronological order. It is a book you must read if you want to learn about this wonderful country.

Children’s books set in New Zealand

New Zealand: Travel for Kids by Dinobibi Publishing

This is the best travel guide for kids to learn about New Zealand culture and geography.

With Dinobibi and Jack, kids will have fun discovering New Zealand: its history, geography, flags and symbols, wildlife, culture, and more!

Inky the Octopus by Erin Guendelsberger

This is an amazing book based on an actual escape by an octopus from his tank in an aquarium in New Zealand. The best octopus book for kids looking to learn more about aquatic animals, marine biology, and aquariums, and the illustrations are large and vivid, perfect for capturing the attention of children and grownups. 

Koko and the Great Bear by Rosie Chenault

Before Koko can become the chief of his tribe, he must first go on an adventure in search of a mysterious bear to help him overcome his fear. A heart-warming tale about finding courage from within in order to reach your dreams.

Young adult books set in New Zealand

The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera

This book by the Maori writer conveys the historical link between New Zealanders, the sea, and the whales.

It is the story of Kahu, an 8-year-old girl, the last descendant of the tribe who claims descent from the legendary “whale rider”. Her great-grandfather is the chief of this tribe, called Whangara. In each generation, a male has inherited the chief title.

But now there is no male heir, only Kahu. She should be next in line for the title, but her great-grandfather is blinded by tradition and sees her as a useless child.

However, she will fight to please her grandfather and be loved by him, to show him that she has what it takes to become a chief, lead her people, and communicate with the whales.

Awakening by Natalie King

A captivating read that will thrill and inspire, intrigue, and mystify young adults.

Zelie Taylor moves with her family to New Zealand, but she has no idea how drastically her life is about to change. When she pulls a lost necklace out of the icy waters of the lake, she begins to think she’s crazy to hear a male voice in her head.

But what she doesn’t know is that Tamas’ soul has been trapped in the silver necklace since 1918. His body is nearby, sleeping, and Zelie must help him awaken.

And what is waiting for Tamas when he does emerge? It seems that the sinister force that trapped him all those years ago has returned and is growing more powerful.

What Are Some Of Your Favorite Books In New Zealand?

Have you read any of these books set in New Zealand? Do you know some great books that I’ve missed? What is your favorite book set in New Zealand? I’d love to hear your thoughts on your favorites in the comments below!

More Great Books

Start by checking out all our books set in destinations around the world, or if you’re after more set in and around Oceania, try these books set in Australia .

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17 Amazing Books About New Zealand

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Travel across Oceania with the best books about New Zealand, fiction and nonfiction. These New Zealand books are sure to teach you more and take you there.

Many great books about New Zealand are rich in Maori culture and emphasize themes of race, colonialism, gender equality, and tradition versus modernity.

On the lighter side, explore New Zealand novels that are paranormal thrillers and fantasy stories with quests into mythical vortexes.

Plus, which books set in New Zealand will inspire your next vacation or at least encourage a little armchair travel there?

It goes without saying that with so many wonderful New Zealand books, it’s hard to choose what to read next.

Below, we are sharing just a few of the best books about New Zealand to read now. Of course, “best” is subjective, and we couldn’t possibly name all of the books NZ has to offer.

Be sure to let us know your favorites in the comments as you explore New Zealand authors, mysteries, mysteries, and contemporary fiction. Let’s get started.

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Table of Contents

12 Must-Read Books About New Zealand

By Dagney McKinney

1. The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera

Eight-year-old Kahu is a member of the Maori tribe of Whangara, New Zealand, and her main hobby is trying to get the attention of her great-grandfather, the chief of the tribe.

Unfortunately, he has no time for Kahu, for he is a traditionalist and believes females to be something of a lost cause when it comes to leadership.

This is a huge problem for him and the tribe because there are no male heirs and Kahu is the only descendant of the chief.

But Kahu is determined to prove herself, and when hundreds of whales beach themselves on their island, she shows them that she truly is destined to lead the tribe.

For Kahu’s people proudly trace their heritage right back to the legendary Kahutia Te Rangi – the famed “whale rider” – and Kahu has inherited his ability to talk to whales.

Many of the best books about New Zealand are rich in Maori culture, and author Witi Ihimaera’s blend of myth and reality is no exception as he explores themes of race, gender equality, and the battle between tradition and modernity.

Read The Whale Rider : Amazon | Goodreads

2. The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

In 1866, Walter Moody arrives in Hokitika, New Zealand as a prospector, looking to take advantage of the booming New Zealand gold rush.

Making his way through the stormy night to the Crown Hotel, he finds himself among the company of twelve men in the smoking room at the hotel.

The group has come to discuss a series of strange and unusual events that have recently taken place.

Among them is the death of a local hermit who was found to have a stash of hidden gold, the disappearance of a well-liked and wealthy young man, and the case of a prostitute who was found unconscious in the road, seemingly having attempted suicide.

As the men go over the incidents from their own perspectives, they find that Walter Moody also has a tale of import to tell, for while he was aboard ship on his journey to Hokitika, he believes he saw a ghost.

Coming in at over 800 pages, this is one of the longest books about New Zealand on this list.

But it is also one of the most loved New Zealand books ever printed, and the mixture of period drama, ghost story, and mystery thriller will have something entertaining for everyone. Read The Luminaries : Amazon | Goodreads

3. Falling into Rarohenga by Steph Matuku

On a day like any other, 16-year-old twins Tui and Kae come home from school to find that it is actually anything but.

Because today, their mother has disappeared – taken from the real world by their estranged father, and pulled through a mystical vortex that has appeared in her room.

Following on her trail, the twins find themselves plunging into the realm of Rarohenga, the Maori Underworld.

Now they have to find her in a world where everything is strange and seemingly no one can be trusted. And if they can’t do it in time, they’ll be trapped in Rarohenga forever.

Falling into Rarohenga is one of the more recent creative YA books NZ has to offer.

The world author Steph Matuku creates is evocatively written, and both the humor and the spirit of adventure needed for an exciting quest story are present. Read Falling into Rarohenga : Amazon | Goodreads

4. Butcherbird by Cassie Hart

Jena Benedict’s grandmother is dying, and even though the two are estranged, she makes the journey back to the family farm. Because Jena has questions that need answering.

Jena has been gone for twenty years, ever since her grandmother Rose banished her, following a fire that took the lives of Jena’s mother, father, brother, and baby sister.

Now, after all this time, she wants to know what really happened that night, and the real reason she was sent away.

Another person who wants these answers is Will, Rose’s live-in caregiver. He’s sure there’s something unusual and ominous about the farm and is determined to investigate.

But dredging up the ghosts of the past will have some dire consequences, as Jena and Will must deal with forces beyond explanation in order to solve this mystery.

A tense psychological horror, Butcherbird will be a great read for anyone looking for unnerving books set in New Zealand. Read The Butcherbird : Amazon | Goodreads

5. Island of the Lost: An Extraordinary Story of Survival at the Edge of the World by Joan Druett

Against all odds, in 1864 two entirely separate crews, those of the Grafton and the Invercauld, were shipwrecked on opposite ends of one of the most remote islands in the world.

Auckland Island is just under 300 miles to the south of New Zealand, by which it is technically governed. But this inhospitable deserted island can feel like the end of the world to anyone shipwrecked here.

Two crews, two wildly different survival methods.

One crew is able to band together and survive. But on the other side of the island, unbeknownst to them, the other crew has descended into chaos and violence.

Island of the Lost is a true story about survival and leadership, and what a fine line we all walk between order and chaos.

This is one of the best non-fiction books NZ has to offer and is a must if you love books about shipwrecks .

Read even more books set on islands , including some deserted ones. Read Island of the Lost : Amazon | Goodreads

6. A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh

When Anahera left her small, coastal New Zealand town of Golden Cove eight years ago to pursue her music career, she vowed never to return.

She was desperate to escape the poverty and lack of options that Golden Cove offered.

But after her wealthy husband unexpectedly dies and she discovers he had a mistress – a pregnant one no less – at the funeral, Anahera decides it’s time to return home and hopefully find some closure.

Golden Cove is a quiet town where very little of note has happened aside from the disappearance of three female hikers 15 years prior, when Anahera was a child.

That’s exactly why Will was banished here after a personal tragedy made him fall apart.

So when Miriama, a Maori girl with a scholarship out of Golden Cove, disappears without a trace shortly after Anahera’s return, Will knows he is in over his head.

And as an outsider, he’s going to have to work three times as hard to get the locals to open up and share secrets.

Nalini Singh is well known for her paranormal romances, but her foray into suspense shows just how talented she is.

A Madness of Sunshine is one of the best books about New Zealand for anyone who loves slow burn thrillers about social issues. Read A Madness of Sunshine : Amazon | Goodreads

7. Once Were Warriors by Alan Duff

Set in a squalid and violent housing project, Once Were Warriors tells the story of the Heke family.

They variously try to escape the harsh realities of their existence, find meaning in life, and keep the family from falling apart.

Jake Heke is the patriarch, spending his time getting drunk in the local pub and fighting anyone who he feels steps out of line.

His wife, Beth, is attempting to quit drinking, but finds it hard to avoid relapsing when the pressures of her home life become too great.

The eldest son, Nig, is trying to find the family connections he lacks at home in a street gang, and his brother Mark is in danger of being taken away and relocated by the state.

Only thirteen-year-old Grace shows any sign of wanting to educate herself, despite the odds against her.

It should be said that Once Were Warriors is both tragic and brutal, and one of the most full-on books about New Zealand on this list. However, it tells an important story very well.

This is the first of a series but still works as a stand-alone book. Explore even more Indigenous books, short stories, and poetry collections . Read Once Were Warriors : Amazon | Goodreads

8. The Garden Party and Other Stories by Katherine Mansfield

In the titular story, we follow Laura, the daughter of a wealthy family throwing a garden party.

Throughout the day Laura becomes increasingly aware of her role within society as she is pushed by her family to be more proper and respectable.

In another story, we meet a young music teacher who is devastated that her fiancé has called off the wedding and urges her students to sing sad songs. While other stories are really more musings on life.

As with most short story collections, there are definitely some that are better than others.

However, the collection as a whole certainly offers insight into what life was like as a well off White woman in New Zealand at the time.

Written as she was dying from tuberculosis in Europe, this final short story collection is set around her home country of New Zealand.

It explores many universal themes such as isolation, societal roles, and grief, while at the same the characters often express great reverence for the wonderment of the world around them.

Classics definitely aren’t my thing, but Katherine Mansfield is said to be the only other author whose writing made Virginia Woolf jealous.

So if you love classics, this should be one of the first New Zealand books you pick up. Read The Garden Party and Other Stories : Amazon | Goodreads

9. Owls Do Cry by Janet Frame

Still just as powerful as it was on its first publication in 1957, this seminal and experimental novel follows 20 years of the lives of the Withers family, focusing on the young Daphne.

As she struggles to come-of-age in post-war New Zealand, she is deemed to be mentally unsound, and institutionalized.

Whilst undergoing some very questionable treatments, Daphne’s view of the world distorts as the boundary between sanity and madness becomes blurred.

Containing prose, poetry, and dreamlike imagery, Owls Do Cry doesn’t exactly have a plot, per se.

However, this is a deliberate choice, and it adds to the overall feel of the book, putting us closer to being in the shoes of our main protagonist.

Author Janet Frame drew upon her own experiences in mental institutions to create this tragic tale, a story which is considered to be one of the classic New Zealand books and a modernist masterpiece. Read Owls Do Cry : Amazon | Goodreads

10. Cousins by Patricia Grace

Mata, Makareta, and Missy are the three titular cousins in this historical fiction novel that centers Maori culture and history.

The book starts shortly after WWII and jumps forward through several important events throughout New Zealand’s history that profoundly affected the Maori population, such as the 1975 Land March and Maori urban migration.

Through it all, we see this history through the cousin’s eyes as the book’s POV rotates between the three at different times in their lives.

As these events and the cousins’ stories unfold, we also see the effects of colonization on their family and lives.

Patricia Grace is a Maori author, and she writes with love and rage for her people and culture.

Cousins is one of the most eye-opening books about New Zealand’s stolen generation and the devastating ripple effects of colonization. Read Cousins : Amazon | Goodreads

11. The Last Time We Spoke by Fiona Sussman

One evening’s events, and nothing will ever be the same again.

While preparing to celebrate her wedding anniversary, Carla Reid’s farmhouse home is invaded by Ben Toroa and his gang member associate.

After a series of brutal crimes, the robbery results in one person dead, one gravely injured, and Carla’s life in ruins.

But even when the criminals are captured, tried and imprisoned, Carla must still come to terms with how things have turned out.

Even though justice has been served, nothing will bring back the life she had.

And while Ben considers how all his unfortunate circumstances led him to this situation, the two find that their fates have been inexorably combined.

A poignant study of grief, recovery, and the circumstances that lead us to do the things we do, The Last Time We Spoke is one of the most unsettling books about New Zealand and perfect for those who love a hard-hitting thriller.

Just make sure to check for trigger warnings before you go in. Read The Last Time We Spoke : Amazon | Goodreads

12. Poison Bay by Belinda Pollard

When you’re suffering from a broken heart, it can be a good idea to get away from it all.

This idea is what spurs TV reporter Callie Brown to join in with a reunion of old friends who have decided to trek into the dangerous and remote mountains of New Zealand.

But what makes this trip even more unusual is that one of them wants the rest dead.

In a similar vein to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None , Poison Bay is an isolated murder mystery that sees a group of people unravelling as secrets come to light and allegiances shift.

Although this isn’t necessarily a groundbreaking addition to the genre, its unique setting in the breathtaking Fiordland National Park makes it worthwhile.

For those looking for fast-paced atmospheric books about New Zealand, Poison Bay is a great option. Read Poison Bay : Amazon | Goodreads

More New Zealand Books

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Thank you to TUL contributor, Dagney McKinney

Dagney (pronouns: any) is a neurodivergent writer who loves all things macabre and weird. She likes outrageously spicy food, long walks through graveyards, and historical tangents. You’ll most likely find her wandering around somewhere quiet or underground, buying salt, or whispering to camels.

What are your favorite books set in New Zealand?

Have you read any of these books about New Zealand, and who are your favorite New Zealand authors? Are there any more New Zealand books we should add to our list? Please let us know in the comments!

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The Greatest "Historical fiction, New Zealand" Books of All Time

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This list represents a comprehensive and trusted collection of the greatest books. Developed through a specialized algorithm, it brings together 264 'best of' book lists to form a definitive guide to the world's most acclaimed books. For those interested in how these books are chosen, additional details can be found on the rankings page .

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Historical fiction.

Historical fiction is a genre of literature that combines fictional stories with real historical events, settings, and characters. These books often take place in a specific time period and are based on research and factual information, but also include imaginative elements to create a compelling narrative. Historical fiction allows readers to experience the past in a unique and engaging way, while also providing insight into the social, cultural, and political issues of the time.

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1. The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

Set during the New Zealand Gold Rush of the 19th century, this novel follows Walter Moody, a prospector who stumbles upon a secret meeting of twelve local men who are trying to solve a series of unsolved crimes. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that the crimes, which include a rich man's disappearance, a prostitute's attempted suicide, and a huge fortune found in a drunkard's cottage, are all interconnected. The novel's complex narrative structure, which uses astrology to organize its characters and events, adds another layer of intrigue to the story.

2. Plumb by Maurice Gee

In "Plumb" by Maurice Gee, readers are introduced to a small New Zealand town called Waimaru, where a tragic accident occurs, leaving a young boy dead. The aftermath of this event reveals the dark secrets and hidden tensions within the community, as the lives of various characters intertwine and unravel. With beautifully crafted prose and a keen exploration of human nature, Gee delves into themes of guilt, loss, and the complexities of human relationships, creating a gripping and thought-provoking narrative.

3. Tahuri by Ngahuia Te Awekotuku

"Tahuri" is a poignant narrative that delves into the life of a young Maori girl navigating the complexities of her cultural identity and sexuality amidst the backdrop of contemporary New Zealand society. The story explores themes of tradition, family, and self-discovery as the protagonist grapples with the expectations placed upon her by her community and her own personal desires. Through her journey, the novel examines the intersections of indigenous culture and modern life, shedding light on the challenges faced by those striving to maintain their heritage while also seeking to forge their own path.

4. The Wish Child by Catherine Chidgey

"The Wish Child" is a powerful and haunting novel that explores the lives of two children, Sieglinde and Erich, growing up in Nazi Germany. Set against the backdrop of World War II, the story delves into the complexities of their friendship and the impact of the Nazi regime on their lives. Through vivid and evocative prose, the author skillfully captures the innocence and resilience of children in a time of darkness and uncertainty, while also shedding light on the moral dilemmas faced by ordinary individuals during a tumultuous period in history.

5. Rangatira by Paula Morris

"Rangatira" is a historical fiction novel set in 19th century New Zealand. The story follows the journey of a young Maori chief, who, after being chosen as a rangatira (leader) of his tribe, embarks on a voyage to England. Through his experiences in the unfamiliar Western world, the protagonist grapples with cultural clashes, identity, and the complexities of colonialism. The narrative seamlessly weaves together Maori mythology, European history, and personal reflections, offering a thought-provoking exploration of indigenous perspectives in a changing world.

6. The Hut Builder by Laurence Fearnley

"The Hut Builder" is a captivating novel that follows the journey of a middle-aged man named Boden Blackwood, who retreats to the remote wilderness of New Zealand to build his dream hut. As he immerses himself in the challenging task of constructing the hut, Boden's solitude is interrupted by unexpected encounters with the locals, each bringing their own stories and struggles. Through these interactions, Boden discovers the profound impact that human connections can have on one's sense of purpose and belonging. With beautiful prose and a deep exploration of solitude and community, this novel takes readers on a reflective and moving journey of self-discovery.

7. As The Earth Turns Silver by Alison Wong

Set in early 20th century New Zealand, "As The Earth Turns Silver" is a historical novel that explores the complex relationships between Chinese immigrants and the European settlers. The story follows the lives of two characters, a Chinese immigrant named Yung, who works as a valet for a wealthy white family, and Katherine, the wife of the family's lawyer. As their lives intertwine, they navigate the societal prejudices and expectations of the time, while also confronting their own desires and secrets. Through their forbidden love affair, Wong delves into themes of identity, racism, and the struggle for acceptance in a changing world.

8. Tu by Patricia Grace

"Tu" is a heartfelt novel that explores the life of a young Maori boy named Tu, who is raised by his grandparents in rural New Zealand. Set in the 1960s, the story follows Tu's journey as he navigates the challenges of growing up in a changing society, grappling with his identity, and finding his place within his community. Through vivid storytelling and rich cultural references, the novel delves into themes of family, tradition, and the enduring power of love and resilience.

9. The Book Of Fame by Lloyd Jones

"The Book of Fame" by Lloyd Jones is a captivating novel that delves into the lives of the 1905 All Blacks, New Zealand's first national rugby team. Through a series of interconnected stories, the book explores themes of fame, identity, and the impact of sport on society. It offers a unique perspective on the players' journey to international recognition, their struggles, triumphs, and the lasting legacy they leave behind. With its lyrical prose and rich characterization, this book is a celebration of both rugby and the human spirit.

10. Live Bodies by Maurice Gee

In "Live Bodies" by Maurice Gee, a small town in New Zealand becomes the setting for a mysterious and unsettling series of events. As the townspeople grapple with their own secrets and desires, a young girl named Alice discovers a hidden power within herself. As tensions rise and the lines between reality and fantasy blur, Alice must confront the darkness that lurks beneath the surface of her seemingly idyllic community. With rich prose and a captivating plot, "Live Bodies" explores themes of identity, power, and the complexities of human nature.

11. This Mortal Boy by Fiona Kidman

Set in 1950s New Zealand, "This Mortal Boy" tells the gripping true story of Albert "Paddy" Black, a young Irish immigrant who finds himself caught up in a tragic turn of events. When Paddy is accused of murder, his fate rests in the hands of the justice system and the public's perception of him as an outsider. As the trial unfolds, the novel explores themes of prejudice, class division, and the power of love and hope in the face of adversity.

12. The Axeman's Carnival by Catherine Chidgey

"The Axeman's Carnival" is a gripping historical novel set in 1918 New Orleans, during the height of the Spanish flu pandemic. As the city grapples with fear and uncertainty, a serial killer known as the Axeman terrorizes its inhabitants. The story follows three main characters—a jazz musician, a young girl, and a detective—as their lives intertwine amidst the chaos. With vivid descriptions and a suspenseful narrative, the book explores themes of resilience, identity, and the power of music in the face of darkness.

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New Zealand Historical Fiction’s Coming of Age

Loren Teague

Historical novel writing can be measured and weighed by the age of a country. The first historical writings in New Zealand can be traced back to Captain Cook, Samuel Marsden and Edward Gibbon Wakefield. These explorers and adventurers, among others, traveled from the Old World to the New during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries beginning with Captain James Cook in 1769, who was the first to discover New Zealand. Their writings in the form of journals and letters, narratives, and diagrams were not fiction but an interpretation of what they had witnessed—pure fact, no doubt embellished by imagination.

Not so well-known compatriots, ordinary men and women of all social classes also left their impressions in literary form. One such man is John Barnicoat, a surveyor living in Nelson, one of the earliest settlements in New Zealand. His diary is reckoned to be one of the best of his era because his style is so accessible and is written from the perspective of a man employed by the New Zealand Company to survey land for settlers. Out of personal interest, he also surveyed the people, both Maori and European, in great detail due to his keen technical and perceptive skills of analyzing and recording—a prerequisite of his occupation.

New Zealand has been fortunate in that there are many historical accounts still surviving available to the public in library and museum archives—a wealth of untapped material waiting to explode into the historical novel.

Whalers like Captain Jacky Guard, perhaps one of our most infamous historical characters, narrowly escaped death when his ship was driven ashore near Cape Egmont, Taranaki. Hostile Maori attacked him and his crew, capturing his wife, Betty Guard, and their children. A Maori warrior clubbed Betty Guard on the head, but a tortoiseshell comb saved her from this almost fatal blow. Jacky Guard escaped and sailed all the way to Australia to raise a troop ship to rescue his wife, and, once reunited, both of them carved out a life in New Zealand setting up a whaling station. When she died many years later in her mid-fifties, she still had pieces of the tortoiseshell comb embedded in her scalp.

The early immigrants who came to these shores were not prisoners forced to leave their homes for a penal colony like those of our close neighbour, Australia. The people who came to New Zealand left their homeland for various reasons. Some wanted to own their own land, others to escape from the confinements of Britain and, for many, to experience excitement and adventure.

In order to understand how the New Zealand historical novel has evolved into a bestselling genre in this country today, we have to study New Zealand history and her people very closely. New Zealand stands out as a country that has a reputation of innovation and a pioneering spirit. There is a certain pride in what has been achieved as a young country, and this is consequently reflected in the literature and desire to shout out to the world that we may be a small country of four million people but we are rich in history—and in heart.

But out of this patriotism one pertinent question arises. Is our historical fiction different from any other?

Let’s start with the Treaty of Waitangi, a historical document signed in 1845 by both Europeans and our native inhabitants, the Maori. It is an agreement depicting how the country should be governed and forms the basis of our cultural and political agreement today. And for those who can see beyond the ink and paper, this document contains a wealth of history through its sub-text. The Treaty is classed as a living and breathing document, and as this article is being written the Treaty is being circulated around the country—a classic example of the past reaching into the present and vice versa, much like a historical novel does.

The old Maori proverb, “He wahine, he whenua e ngaro ai te tangata,” meaning “for women and land men die,” makes good material for a novel. So perhaps the first novel published in New Zealand in 1861 was very apt—Major Henry Butler Stoney’s Taranaki: A Tale of the War . A depiction of the land wars combining fact and fiction.

Probably the most influential category was the interpretation of New Zealand life, for it is that model which could well be called the ancestor of historical fiction today.

Naturally, authors brought their own cultural perspective depending on what country they originated from. One such immigrant was Alexander Bathgate, whose Scottish-flavoured novels like Colonial Experiences in 1874 became very popular. His writing is lively and refreshingly candid. For a time he was part owner of the Saturday Advertiser , a weekly journal established in 1875 to foster a national spirit in New Zealand and encourage colonial literature.

The Story of a New Zealand River by Jane Mander was published in New York early in 1920 and in London a few months later. Her novels are landmarks in the New Zealand literary landscape, for her characters are normal human beings depicted in a time of great social change. It is said that she made the New Zealand landscape acceptable to the world. There are strong similarities between the award winning movie, The Piano , and Mander’s novel.  Any link has been strongly denied by the film producer Jane Campion, yet still speculation remains. Rae MacGregor, who wrote Jane Mander’s biography, The Story of a New Zealand Writer , (University of Otago Press) portrayed Mander as a woman of strong character and vigorous mind, a product of her New Zealand upbringing. Can it be any wonder that New Zealand was the first country to give women the vote in 1893?

Let’s fast forward to the years 1930 to 1960, where New Zealand has survived two world wars. By now, second and third generation New Zealanders, while still connected to Mother Britain, yearn to break loose and emerge as a separate identity. A new nation is forged. In the 1960s, Bert Munro challenged the God of speed on his motorcycle – The World’s Fastest Indian – and won. He lived to tell the tale, but not to see the recently released movie, starring Anthony Hopkins. Munro’s recent biography, The Legend of Burt Munro by Tim Hanna (Penguin NZ), goes some way to explain how this ordinary man achieved his life’s ambition.

HarperCollins NZ brought out the bestselling family saga by author Deborah Challinor, comprising Tamar , White Feathers and Blue Smoke , under their trilogy name, Children of War . Each of these titles continues to reprint and sell on four years after the first book was published in 2002. Challinor’s recent novel, Kitty , has just been released and speculation is that it will go straight to number one just like her previous novel, Union Belle .

But in analyzing the growth of the New Zealand historical novel, we need to ask: why is this genre so popular nowadays?

Some say it is simply because the people of today want to learn about the people of yesterday. The public don’t want dry factual history books but reading material that provides entertainment. There have been political and legal issues by the Maori and Europeans over land resources for some years now, and the general public wants to understand what has brought the country to this point where we have to decipher history before legal settlements can be made. It is also widely known that the baby boomers (those born between the years 1946 – 1964) were never taught New Zealand history, and there is a real hunger for it.

Kaye Kelly, author of Cross the River to Home (Random House), says: “For too many years, we looked to the countries of our ancestral roots for our history. Nowadays we have a very real sense of ourselves as a nation which, in turn, leads to a natural curiosity about our forbears.” Cross the River to Home is set in the 1870s and is the story of an impossible love between a half-Chinese woman, Mai, and Henry, a young immigrant from England who has come to New Zealand in search of his sister. With family ties, racial prejudice and the local community conspiring against any match between Henry and Mai, their futures promise to be bleak. This tale, set on the wild, west coast of New Zealand, is a place where many Scottish and Irish immigrants also made their home, a region steeped in the history of gold field lore. Kelly also adds, “Until now, historical novels, indeed any genre with New Zealand backgrounds, were largely ignored by overseas publishers. Thankfully, that’s becoming a thing of the past as evidenced by two top German publishers vying for the rights for Cross the River to Home .”

Naturally, since New Zealand is a nation of immigrants, each culture will have its own unique story to tell of its forebears. One in particular is Gerard Hindmarsh, freelance journalist. His novel, Angelina (Craig Potton Publishing), depicts the life of his Italian grandparents. At just 16 years of age, his grandmother, Angelina Moleta, left the tiny volcanic island of Stromboli off Sicily to travel to D’Urville in New Zealand, a remote island on the other side of the world. From the age of eight she had been betrothed to her cousin, Vincenzo Moleta, who was twice her age. Facing the fierce tides and weather of this wild island on the edge of Cook Strait, and having to cope with loneliness, the incessant toil of a pioneer farm, and the bitterness of a developing family feud, Angelina found solace in an unlikely friendship with a high-born Maori woman, Wetekia Ruruku Elkington, who lived nearby. Together they shared their own struggles, their different cultures and lack of English language, a process that awakened Angelina to her own inner strengths. It’s a tale of hardship and love, both elements that are timeless in historical fiction. The novel, written in the first-person viewpoint, has strong characterization, and the reader could easily be persuaded this story has actually been penned by Angelina and her husband and not by the journalist author with his brilliant imagination and writing skills.

A growing number of children and young adults are also showing more interest than ever in history, and this is reflected also in the increasing publishing of military history and historical fiction. Ken Catran’s book Letters from the Coffin Trenches (Random House) is a historical novel about World War I as seen through the eyes of seventeen-year-old enlistee, Harry, and his girlfriend, Jessica. This poignant story is told in the form of letters between the two, revealing their gradual disenchantment with the war, its cause and effects.

Although New Zealand historical fiction is very popular with New Zealand readers, according to books editor Conor Quinn, of the monthly New Zealand Writers E-zine (an electronic magazine owned by the NZ Society of Authors, www.authors.org.nz ), surprisingly this is not reflected in the frequency of review titles selected by New Zealand reviewers. He states that NZ historical fiction is chosen at the same rate as most other genres, while crime fiction remains the most popular. Generally, however, he has received more positive feedback on New Zealand historical fiction titles. He says, “The subject matter strikes more of a chord with the reader than the average novel. This appears logical when we consider that the most voracious readers are often of the more mature variety, but with the general popularity of historical fiction throughout New Zealand we must consider other factors. I believe it’s a curiosity of our own past combined with the fact that many of the most talented contemporary writers are successfully trying their hand at historical fiction.” Conor sees only more writers aiming for the same, and hopefully, with the same ongoing success

But for those aspiring historical fiction novelists hoping to break into the market, Lorain Day, Commissioning Editor for HarperCollins, advises writers to explore more than the early period of colonization. She says, “I receive hundreds of manuscripts each year of which many are historical romances, and they all try and replicate what has come before—enough of the trials of the long journey out and vomiting and fever below decks as howling storms shred the sails and babies die and are tragically buried at sea—the best historical novels are by those authors who have moved beyond what has become cliché and are exploring the breadth and depth of our history.”

Our stories might be widely sought after in our own country, but what about the rest of the world?

The truth is New Zealand historical fiction still has a way to go to be internationally recognized. One of our problems is that many readers in other countries just aren’t aware of what we are publishing. We need to ask: do our marketing and publicity strategies need to be overhauled? Or even reinvented? With the advent of the internet, selling books isn’t limited to a local market—there is a global readership just waiting for something refreshingly new.

On the home front, with the huge number of popular and literary fiction titles being imported into New Zealand from the UK and the USA, there has been a real threat of our own stories being swamped. Yet, still our historical fiction continues to carve out its niche and gain popularity.

We only need one New Zealand historical novel or historical author to hit the overseas bestselling lists, and that would highlight what we have to offer. Like the film industry, where the world spotlight has now swung to New Zealand after the international success of Lord of the Rings , surely it has to be only a matter of time before the same thing happens to our literature.

When it does, perhaps then we can say truly say that New Zealand historical fiction has come of age.

Please note: This article pertains only to works which are relevant to the New Zealand land or people. Expatriate New Zealanders who have made reputations overseas with work not featuring New Zealand are not included, as is the non-New Zealand work of local authors.

Loren Teague is a Scot who works in the New Zealand book publishing industry as a manuscript assessor. Her first historical romantic novel, Highland Rebel , was published in April by Whiskey Creek Press in the US, and received an Honourable Mention in the Richard Webster Popular Fiction Award—New Zealand’s only award for popular fiction. She has been a finalist in the Romantic Novelist’s New Writers Award (UK).  Update: Sadly, Loren passed away in late 2009. She was a talented novelist and a passionate advocate for New Zealand historical fiction.

First published in The Historical Novels Review , Issue 37, August 2006.

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• New Zealand

Books Set In New Zealand: New Zealand Novels

• Ash at Tale Away

Kia ora! This list of books set in New Zealand aims to capture the country in literature, with a range of titles including both fiction and memoirs alike. There is a little bit of everything; from literary classics through to contemporary fiction; with tales that explore the dramatic landscapes, fascinating history and unique cultures that define the islands.

Please note: This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures  here .

Books Set In New Zealand: Introduction

Below you’ll find an extensive reading list, so here are just a few highlights – including the two Booker Prize Winners on this list. Keri Hulme was the first New Zealand author to be awarded the prize for The Bone People in 1985. Hulme is of English, Scottish, and Māori descent and her only novel is an unusual one that deals with some very difficult issues.

Eleanor Catton was the youngest winner of the Booker Prize for The Luminaries in 2013. I’m from a gold-mining town in Australia, so found this novel set in the New Zealand goldfields fascinating. The experimental form of the 800+ page book is also notable; it’s woven around astrological concepts. The characters are associated with signs of the zodiac and interact accordingly, while the chapter lengths decrease throughout the book mirroring the waning moon.

The first published Māori novelist was Witi Ihimaera. With a diplomatic background, his stories often explore the intersection of cultures in contemporary New Zealand. Some of his works below include Pounamu Pounamu , The Whale Rider and Bulibasha: King Of The Gypsies . His most widely-read novel The Whale Rider was adapted into a feature film .

Janet Frame is another notable New Zealand author who published many works, often based on her dramatic personal history. Some of her books below include the novels Owls Do Cry and Faces in the Water ; along with the first two parts of her autobiography which are To the Is-land and An Angel at My Table .

And finally, if you happen to be looking for children’s picture books set in New Zealand, one of my personal favourites growing up was Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy !

Books Set In New Zealand: The Shortlist

If you’re short on time and want to skip the longer list below, these are my picks for books set in New Zealand:

• Owls Do Cry by Janet Frame
• The Bone People by Keri Hulme
• The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera
• The Colour by Rose Tremain
• The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

Want one of these Books Set in New Zealand for free?

Books set in new zealand.

1. The Garden Party and Other Stories by Katherine Mansfield, 1922

Innovative, startlingly perceptive and aglow with colour, these fifteen stories were written towards the end of Katherine Mansfield’s tragically short life. Many are set in the author’s native New Zealand, others in England and the French Riviera. All are revelations of the unspoken, half-understood emotions that make up everyday experience – from the blackly comic ‘The Daughters of the Late Colonel’, and the short, sharp sketch ‘Miss Brill’, in which a lonely woman’s precarious sense of self is brutally destroyed, to the vivid impressionistic evocation of family life in ‘At the Bay’. See reviews

2. Colour Scheme (Roderick Alleyn #12) by Ngaio Marsh, 1943

Often regarded as her most interesting book and set on New Zealand’s North Island, Ngaio Marsh herself considered this to be her best-written novel. It was a horrible death – Maurice Questing was lured into a pool of boiling mud and left there to die. Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn, far from home on a wartime quest for German agents, knew that any number of people could have killed him: the English exiles he’d hated, the New Zealanders he’d despised or the Maoris he’d insulted. See reviews

3. Green Dolphin Street by Elizabeth Goudge, 1944

When William Ozanne departs the British Channel Islands for a new life in the Royal Navy, he leaves behind sisters Marianne and Marguerite Le Patourel in the clutches of love and longing. A letter to their father finds its way back, requesting William’s beloved to join him in New Zealand, and the sisters are separated. It’s not until she arrives to marry him that William realizes he has asked for the hand of the wrong woman. See reviews

4. Died in the Wool (Roderick Alleyn #13) by Ngaio Marsh, 1945

Member of Parliament Florence Rubrick has the wool pulled over her eyes-quite literally. She’s been found dead, her body pressed into a bale of wool. When Inspector Alleyn pays a visit to her New Zealand country home, he meets two fine, handsome men and two lovely young women, all of whom have reason to be grateful to dear Flossie for saving their lives. But as Inspector Alleyn learns, there are secrets aplenty hiding in the floorboards of that sheep station, and one in particular conceals a murderous motive that has the look and smell of treason. See reviews

5. Return to Paradise by James A. Michener, 1947

James A. Michener, the master of historical fiction, revisits the scenes of his first great work,  Tales of the South Pacific , the Pulitzer Prize winner that brought him international acclaim. In this sequel collection, Michener once again evokes the magic of the extraordinary isles in the Pacific—from Fiji and Gaudalcanal to New Zealand and Papua New Guinea—through stories that burst with adventure, charm, and local color.  See reviews

6. Owls Do Cry by Janet Frame, 1957

Owls Do Cry  tells the story of the Withers family: Francie, who is twelve and about to start work at the woollen mills, hard drudgery sweetened with the thrill of riding a bike to work; Toby, who would rather play at the dump than go to school, where the dark velvet cloak of epilepsy often wraps itself around him; Chicks, the youngest; and Daphne, whose rich poetic way of seeing the world leads to a heartbreaking life in institutions. Janet Frame writes of hardship, poverty and tragedy with beauty and a deep sensitivity. See reviews

7. Faces in the Water by Janet Frame, 1961

When Janet Frame’s doctor suggested that she write about her traumatic experiences in mental institutions in order to free herself from them, the result was Faces in the Water , a powerful and poignant novel. Istina Mavet descends through increasingly desolate wards, with the threat of leucotomy ever present. As she observes her fellow patients, long dismissed by hospital staff, with humour and compassion, she reveals her original and questing mind. This riveting novel became an international classic, translated into nine languages, and has also been used as a medical school text. See reviews

8. Two in the Bush by Gerald Durrell, 1966

Two in the Bush is a record of the six-month journey which took Gerald Durrell, his wife Jacquie, and two cameramen through New Zealand, Australia and Malaya. The object was, first, to see what was being done about the conservation of wild life in these countries, and, secondly, to make a series of television films for the BBC. They were introduced to many rare and remarkable animals – Royal Albatrosses, Tuataras, Duck-Billed Platypuses, Flying Lizards and Long-Nosed Bandicoots, as well as to some equally unusual humans. See reviews

9. Sydney Bridge Upside Down by David Ballantyne, 1968

Harry Baird lives with his mother, father and younger brother Cal in Calliope Bay, at the edge of the world. Summer has come, and those who can have left the bay for the allure of the far away city. Among them is Harry’s mother, who has left behind a case of homemade ginger beer and a vague promise of return. Harry and Cal are too busy enjoying their holidays, playing in the caves and the old abandoned slaughterhouse, to be too concerned with her absence. When their older cousin – the beautiful, sophisticated Caroline-comes from the city to stay with the Bairds, Harry is besotted. With their friend Dibs Kelly, the boys and Caroline spend the long summer days exploring the bay and playing games. See reviews

10. Pounamu Pounamu by Witi Ihimaera, 1972

When Pounamu Pounamu was published in 1972, it was a landmark occasion for New Zealand literature in many ways. It was the first work of fiction published by a Maori writer, it was the first collection of short stories that looked at contemporary Maori life and it launched the career of one of New Zealand’s best-known authors. Witi Ihimaera explores in Pounamu Pounamu what it is like to be a New Zealander – but from a Maori perspective. See reviews

11. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough, 1977

Note: this is only partly set in New Zealand, most of the story takes place in Australia. The Thorn Birds is a robust, romantic saga of a singular family, the Clearys. It begins in the early part of this century, when Paddy Cleary moves his wife, Fiona, and their seven children to Drogheda, the vast Australian sheep station owned by his autocratic and childless older sister; and it ends more than half a century later, when the only survivor of the third generation, the brilliant actress Justine O’Neill, sets a course of life and love halfway around the world from her roots. See reviews

12. Plumb by Maurice Gee, 1978

Long regarded as one of the finest novels ever written by a New Zealander, Maurice Gee’s Plumb introduces us to the intolerant, irascible clergyman George Plumb, one of the most memorable characters in New Zealand literature and – half saint, half monster, superhuman in his spiritual strength and destructive in his utter self-absorption. What personal price is this man prepared to pay in the pursuit of his conscience, no matter what the consequences are for those he loves? See reviews

13. To the Is-land (Autobiography #1) by Janet Frame, 1982

In this first volume of her autobiography, New Zealand novelist Janet Frame tells of her childhood as the daughter of an impoverished railway worker and a mother who aspired to publish poetry. Despite material privations and family conflicts, the world of the imagination was accorded a supreme place in the Frame household, and it was at this time that Janet Frame acquired her lifelong love for Romantic poetry and her tactile sense of the power of words. See reviews

14. An Angel at My Table (Autobiography #2) by Janet Frame, 1984

Please note: The three autobiographies in this series are also published in a single edition, which is also titled An Angel At My Table. This is the second volume in Janet Frame’s autobiography, in which she tells of how she left the close-knit family home in Oamaru for teacher training college in Dunedin. Her college years were a time of intense loneliness that culminated in an attempted suicide and commital to a mental institution. Labelled as a schizophrenic, Janet spent eight harrowing years in psychiatric hospitals until the publication of her prize-winning collection of stories won her a discharge. See reviews

15. The Bone People by Keri Hulme, 1984

In a tower on the New Zealand sea lives Kerewin Holmes, part Maori, part European, an artist estranged from her art, a woman in exile from her family. One night her solitude is disrupted by a visitor – a speechless, mercurial boy named Simon, who tries to steal from her and then repays her with his most precious possession. As Kerewin succumbs to Simon’s feral charm, she also falls under the spell of his Maori foster father Joe, who rescued the boy from a shipwreck and now treats him with an unsettling mixture of tenderness and brutality. Out of this unorthodox trinity Keri Hulme has created what is at once a mystery, a love story, and an ambitious exploration of the zone where Maori and European New Zealand meet, clash, and sometimes merge. See reviews

16. Season Of The Jew by Maurice Shadbolt, 1986

A powerful and moving novel of the early days of colonial New Zealand. A shrewd mission-educated Maori, Coates/Kooti, perceived as a thorn in the colonial flesh, escapes imprisonment and returns to Poverty Bay with a small band of followers. Kooti becomes the ruthless leader of a considerable native army, his Bible studies leading him to see himself and his people as latter-day Israelites. The story of what follows is told through the eyes of Captain Fairweather, a British army officer turned artist, an eminently humane man whose attempts to mend relations between natives and settlers meet with signal failure; while his wryly professional view of the beleaguered colony changes after a brutal attack on the half-Maori women he loves and her family. All main characters in this strange but true novel are historical and the tragic climax occurred in 1869 with the execution of a harmless and uncomprehending young Maori – an example. See reviews

17. Potiki by Patricia Grace, 1986

In a small coastal community threatened by developers who would ravage their lands it is a time of fear and confusion – and growing anger. The prophet child Tokowaru-i-te-Marama shares his people’s struggles against bulldozers and fast money talk. When dramatic events menace the marae, his grief and rage threaten to burst beyond the confines of his twisted body. His all-seeing eye looks forward to a strange and terrible new dawn. See reviews

18. The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera, 1987 (YA)

Eight-year-old Kahu, a member of the Maori tribe of Whangara, New Zealand, fights to prove her love, her leadership, and her destiny. Her people claim descent from Kahutia Te Rangi, the legendary ‘whale rider.’ In every generation since Kahutia, a male heir has inherited the title of chief. But now there is no male heir, and the aging chief is desperate to find a successor. Kahu is his only great-grandchild – and Maori tradition has no use for a girl. But when hundreds of whales beach themselves and threaten the future of the Maori tribe, Kahu will do anything to save them – even the impossible. See reviews

19. Oracles and Miracles by Stevan Eldred-Grigg, 1988

Oracles and Miracles is Stevan Eldred-Griggs best-selling debut novel about Ginnie and Fag, twin sisters growing up in Christchurch in the thirties and forties, a city of ‘peeling paint, flaking iron, cracked linoleum, dusty yards, lean-tos, and asphalts, dunnies and textile mills’. This colourful story focuses on the relationship between the girls as they grow into women and their attempt to escape their impoverished background. See reviews

20. Once Were Warriors by Alan Duff, 1990

Once Were Warriors is Alan Duff’s harrowing vision of his country’s indigenous people two hundred years after the English conquest. In prose that is both raw and compelling, it tells the story of Beth Heke, a Maori woman struggling to keep her family from falling apart, despite the squalor and violence of the housing projects in which they live. Conveying both the rich textures of Maori tradition and the wounds left by its absence, Once Were Warriors is a masterpiece of unblinking realism, irresistible energy, and great sorrow. See reviews

21. Bulibasha: King Of The Gypsies by Witi Ihimaera, 1994

On the East Coast of New Zealand two patriarchs fight to be proclaimed king. Tamihana is the leader of the great Mahana family of shearers and sportsmen. Rupeni Poata is his arch-enemy. They will fight to win the title of Bulibasha and be proclaimed the King of the Gypsies, Caught in the middle of this struggle for power is the grandson of Tamihana and his wife Ramona, the teenage Simeon. See reviews

22. A Dangerous Vine by Barbara Ewing, 1999

Margaret Rose Bennett, like her elder sister, Elizabeth, was named after the two English princesses. But Elizabeth is dead, and Margaret Rose still living, searching and reaching out for life and its meaning. And against the frankly odd, strained and curiously English household she inhabits in a New Zealand city, it is hard to make out the truth. So Margaret abandons what her parents think is right: learning English history, the French language, listening to comedy shows on the World Service and returning home on the 9.30 tram and maps out a course of her own. She studies Maori at University, makes friends with the wayward Emily (daughter of the soon to be Prime Minister of New Zealand) and shy, independent Prudence. As a trio they study hard for their degrees, work by day at the local Government offices and by night sing, drink and laugh with the local Maori people – and fall in love. See reviews

23. Queen of Beauty by Paula Morris, 2002

Virginia Ngatea Seton leaves New Orleans, where she works as a researcher for a historical novelist, and returns home to Auckland for the wedding of her younger sister. Drawn back into the world of her Pakeha-Maori family, Virginia rediscovers many family stories and legends. She learns how the city of her youth has inextricably changed, as surely as the country of her grandparents is gone forever. At turns haunting, moving and comic, Queen of Beauty spans three generations. Shifting between modern-day New Orleans and Auckland, as well as New Zealand of the 1920s and 1960s, it explores the fragility of truth, the elusiveness of the past and the burden it places on the living. See reviews

24. The Colour by Rose Tremain, 2003

Newlyweds Joseph and Harriet Blackstone emigrate from England to New Zealand, along with Joseph’s mother Lilian, in search of new beginnings and prosperity, but the harsh land near Christchurch where they settle threatens to destroy them almost before they begin. When Joseph finds gold in a creek bed, he hides the discovery from both his wife and mother and becomes obsessed with the riches awaiting him deep in the earth. Abandoning his farm and family, he sets off alone for the new goldfields over the Southern Alps, a moral wilderness where many others, under the seductive dreams of the “colour,” rush to their destinies and doom. See reviews

25. The Denniston Rose by Jenny Pattrick, 2003

The bleak coal-mining settlement of Denniston, isolated high on a plateau above New Zealand’s West Coast, is a place that makes or breaks those who live there. At the time of this novel – the 1880s – the only way to reach the makeshift collection of huts, tents and saloons is to climb aboard an empty coal-wagon to be hauled 2000 feet up the terrifyingly steep Incline – the cable-haulage system that brings the coal down to the railway line. All sorts arrive here to work the mines and bring out the coal: ex-goldminers down on their luck; others running from the law, or from a woman, or worse. They work alongside recruited English miners, solid and skilled, who scorn these disorganised misfits and want them off the Hill. See reviews

26. Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones, 2006

Note: this novel is not set in New Zealand, but is by a local author. In a novel that is at once intense, beautiful, and fablelike, Lloyd Jones weaves a transcendent story that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the power of narrative to transform our lives. On a copper-rich tropical island shattered by war, where the teachers have fled with most everyone else, only one white man chooses to stay behind: the eccentric Mr. Watts, object of much curiosity and scorn, who sweeps out the ruined schoolhouse and begins to read to the children each day from Charles Dickens’s classic Great Expectations. See reviews

27. In the Land of the Long White Cloud by Sarah Lark, 2007

Helen Davenport, governess for a wealthy London household, longs for a family of her own – but nearing her late twenties and with no dowry, her prospects are dim. Responding to an advertisement seeking young women to marry New Zealand’s honorable bachelors, she corresponds with a gentleman farmer. When her church offers to pay her travels under an unusual arrangement, she jumps at the opportunity. See reviews

28. Cemetery Lake by Paul Cleave, 2008

A chilling case of unsolved murders and mistaken identities unravels when a lake in a Christchurch cemetery releases its grip on the murky past in this exciting crime thriller. Cemetery Lake  begins in a cold and rainy graveyard, where Private Detective Theodore Tate is overseeing an exhumation – a routine job for the weathered former cop. But when doubts are raised about the identity of the body found in the coffin, the case takes a sinister turn. Tate knows he should walk away and let his former colleagues on the police force deal with it, but his strong sense of justice intervenes. See reviews

29. The 10PM Question by Kate De Goldi, 2008 (YA)

Frankie Parsons is twelve going on old man: an apparently sensible, talented boy with a drumbeat of worrying questions steadily gaining volume in his head. Are the smoke alarm batteries flat? Does the cat, and therefore the rest of the family, have worms? Is the kidney-shaped spot on his chest actually a galloping cancer Only Ma takes seriously his catalogue of persistent anxieties; only Ma listens patiently to his 10 PM queries. See reviews

30. Sentence of Marriage by Shayne Parkinson, 2009

In nineteenth century New Zealand, there are few choices for a farm girl like Amy. Her life seems mapped out for her by the time she is twelve. Amy dreams of an exciting life in the world beyond her narrow boundaries. But it is the two people who come to the farm from outside the valley who change her life forever, and Amy learns the high cost of making the wrong choice. See reviews

31. As the Earth Turns Silver by Alison Wong, 2009

It is the early 1900s and brothers Yung and Shun, immigrants from China, eke out a living as greengrocers in Wellington. The pair must support their families back home, but know they must adapt if they are to survive and prosper in their adopted home. Meanwhile, Katherine McKechnie struggles to raise her rebellious son and her daughter following the death of her husband, Donald. A strident right-wing newspaperman, Donald terrorized his family, though was idolized by his son. One day, Katherine comes to Yung’s shop and is touched by the Chinaman’s unexpected generosity. See reviews

32. Rangatira by Paula Morris, 2011

Auckland, June 1886. Ngati Wai chief Paratene Te Manu spends long sessions, over three long days, having his portrait painted by the Bohemian painter Gottfried Lindauer. Hearing of Lindauer’s planned trip to England reminds him of his own journey there, twenty years earlier, with a party of northern rangatira. As he sits for Lindauer, Paratene retreats deeper and deeper into the past, from the triumphs in London and their meetings with royalty to the disintegration of the visit into poverty, mistrust, and humiliation. Based on a true story. See reviews

33. The Forrests by Emily Perkins, 2012

Dorothy Forrest is immersed in the sensory world around her; she lives in the flickering moment. From the age of seven, when her odd, disenfranchised family moves from New York City to the wide skies of Auckland, to the very end of her life, this is her great gift and possible misfortune. Through the wilderness of a commune, to falling in love, to early marriage and motherhood, from the glorious anguish of parenting to the loss of everything worked for and the unexpected return of love, Dorothy is swept along by time. Her family looms and recedes; revelations come to light; death changes everything, but somehow life remains as potent as it ever was, and the joy in just being won’t let her go. See reviews

34. The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton, 2013

It is 1866, and young Walter Moody has come to make his fortune upon the New Zealand goldfields. On the stormy night of his arrival, he stumbles across a tense gathering of twelve local men who have met in secret to discuss a series of unexplained events: A wealthy man has vanished, a prostitute has tried to end her life, and an enormous fortune has been discovered in the home of a luckless drunk. Moody is soon drawn into the mystery: a network of fates and fortunes that is as complex and exquisitely ornate as the night sky. Richly evoking a mid-nineteenth-century world of shipping, banking, and gold rush boom and bust,  The Luminaries  is a brilliantly constructed, fiendishly clever ghost story and a gripping page-turner. See reviews

35. South Sea Vagabonds by Johnny Wray, 2014

Johnny Wray’s gripping and often hilarious account of his adventures around the South Pacific has inspired readers and changed lives since its first publication. Fired from his day job during the Great Depression, Johnny begged, borrowed and stole the materials to build his famous yacht Ngataki. With some mates for company and a sextant to steer by, he set sail for the palm-fringed atolls and islands of his dreams – to discover they really did exist. But South Sea Vagabonds is much more than just a ripping yarn; it is a heartfelt hymn to the possibility of living a free life and truly being the master of one’s own destiny. See reviews

36. Wildboy by Brando Yelavich, 2015

Fast going off the rails and hanging out with the wrong crowd, Brando Yelavich, a plucky 20-year-old from Auckland’s North Shore, decided he needed to change his life. He needed a mission. He was going to walk around New Zealand. Brando reached Cape Reinga on 23 August 2014 after a gruelling journey of over 8000 kilometres, traversed almost completely on foot over 600 days – the first time it had ever been done. See reviews

37. The Party Line by Sue Orr, 2015

An enthralling novel of individual bravery versus silent, collective complicity, set in a vividly drawn farming community in 1970s New Zealand. The Baxters do not know their place. On the first of June every year, sharemilkers load their trucks with their families, pets and possessions and crawl along the highways towards new farms, new lives. They’re inching towards that ultimate dream – buying their own land. Fenward’s always been lucky with its sharemilkers: grateful, grafting folk who understand what’s expected of them. Until now, when grief-stricken Ian Baxter and his precocious daughter, Gabrielle, arrive. See reviews

38. Snow on the Lindis: My Life at Morven Hills Station by Madge Snow, 2015

Snow on the Lindis is Madge Snow’s story of living at Morven Hills Station on the Lindis Pass. Morven Hills is one of New Zealand’s most well-known high-country stations – once an enormous 400,000 acres. The great stone woolshed is one of New Zealand’s instantly recognisable farm buildings and is one of the largest shearing sheds in the country at a whopping 34 stands. See reviews

39. Trust No One by Paul Cleave, 2015

Most of the world knows Jerry Grey by his crime-writing pseudonym, Henry Cutter – a name that’s been keeping readers at the edge of their seats for more than a decade. But now that he’s been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at the age of forty-nine, Jerry’s career is coming to an abrupt end. His twelve books tell stories of brutal murders, of a world out of balance, of victims finding the darkest forms of justice. As his dementia continues to break down the wall between his real life and the lives of his characters, Jerry confesses his most terrible secret: the stories are real. He committed the crimes himself. His friends, family, and caretakers insist that it’s all in his head, just a side effect of the devastating disease – but is it? See reviews

40. Can You Tolerate This? by Ashleigh Young, 2016

Youth and frailty, ambition and anxiety, the limitations of the body and the challenges of personal transformation: these are the undercurrents that animate acclaimed poet Ashleigh Young’s first collection of essays. In Can You Tolerate This? – the title comes from the question chiropractors ask to test a patient’s pain threshold – Young ushers us into her early years in the faraway yet familiar landscape of New Zealand: fantasizing about Paul McCartney, cheering on her older brother’s fledging music career, and yearning for a larger and more creative life. See reviews

41. The New Animals by Pip Adam, 2017

Carla, Sharon and Duey have worked in fashion for longer than they care to remember, for them, there’s nothing new under the sun. They’re Generation X: tired, cynical and sick of being used. Tommy, Cal and Kurt are Millenials, they’ve come from nowhere, but with their monied families behind them they’re ready to remake fashion. They represent the new sincere, the anti-irony. Both generations are searching for a way out, an alternative to their messed-up reality. See reviews

42. Baby by Annaleese Jochems, 2017

Cynthia is twenty-one, bored and desperately waiting for something big to happen. Her striking fitness instructor, Anahera, is ready to throw in the towel on her job and marriage. With stolen money and a dog in tow they run away and buy ‘Baby’, an old boat docked in the Bay of Islands, where Cynthia dreams they will live in a state of love. But strange events on an empty island turn their life together in a different direction. See reviews

43. This Mortal Boy by Fiona Kidman, 2018

An utterly compelling recreation of the events that led to one of the last executions in New Zealand. Albert Black, known as the ‘jukebox killer’, was only twenty when he was convicted of murdering another young man in a fight at a milk bar in Auckland on 26 July 1955. His crime fuelled growing moral panic about teenagers, and he was to hang less than five months later, the second-to-last person to be executed in New Zealand. See reviews

44. Wild Journeys by Bruce Ansley, 2018

Discover a world of wild, mysterious and audacious journeys. One of New Zealand’s best writers retraces a diverse array of wild and fascinating journeys, including the mythical path to Erewhon; George Wilder’s prison escape route through the volcanic plateau; the Maori prophet and faith-healer Rua Hepetipa’s track in the Ureweras; searching for the grey ghost in Fiordland; finding New Zealand’s most remote gold-mining settlement; and surviving the graveyard trip on the Bluebridge ferry. See reviews

45. We Can Make A Life by Chessie Henry, 2018

Hours after the 2011 Christchurch Earthquake, Kaikōura-based doctor Chris Henry crawled through the burning CTV building to rescue those who were trapped. Six years later, his daughter Chessie interviews him in an attempt to understand the trauma that led her father to burnout, in the process unravelling stories and memories from her own remarkable family history. See reviews

46. A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh, 2019

On the rugged West Coast of New Zealand, Golden Cove is more than just a town where people live. The adults are more than neighbors; the children, more than schoolmates. That is until one fateful summer – and several vanished bodies – shatters the trust holding Golden Cove together. All that’s left are whispers behind closed doors, broken friendships, and a silent agreement not to look back. But they can’t run from the past forever. See reviews

47. A Mistake by Carl Shuker, 2019

Elizabeth Taylor is a gifted surgeon – the only female consultant at her hospital. But while operating on a young woman with life-threatening blood poisoning, something goes horribly wrong. In the midst of a new scheme to publicly report surgeons’ performance, her colleagues begin to close ranks, and Elizabeth’s life is thrown into disarray. Tough and abrasive, Elizabeth has survived and succeeded in this most demanding, palpably sexist field. But can she survive a single mistake? A Mistake  is a page-turning procedural thriller about powerful women working in challenging spheres. See reviews

48. Pearly Gates by Owen Marshall, 2019

This entertaining and insightful novel both skewers and celebrates small-town New Zealand. Pat `Pearly’ Gates has achieved a lot in his life and evinces considerable satisfaction in his achievements. He has a reputation as a former Otago rugby player and believes he would have been an All Black but for sporting injuries. He runs a successful real-estate agency in a provincial South Island town, of which he is the second-term mayor. Popular, happily married, well established, he cuts an impressive figure, especially in his own eyes. But will his pride and complacency come before a fall? See reviews

49. Auē by Becky Manawatu, 2019

Taukiri was born into sorrow. Auē can be heard in the sound of the sea he loves and hates, and in the music he draws out of the guitar that was his father’s. It spills out of the gang violence that killed his father and sent his mother into hiding, and the shame he feels about abandoning his eight-year-old brother to a violent home. But Ārama is braver than he looks, and he has a friend and his friend has a dog, and the three of them together might just be strong enough to turn back the tide of sorrow. As long as there’s aroha to give and stories to tell and a good supply of plasters. Order online

What do you think of these books set in New Zealand?

Have you explored New Zealand before? Any travel tips you can share? Know any great reads that I’ve missed? What are your favourite books set in New Zealand? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Looking for more reading ideas?

If you’re looking for more books set in the region, you might like our list of Books Set In Australia .

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7 brilliant books about New Zealand

Recently updated on July 19th, 2023 at 03:27 pm

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of books about New Zealand that get you in touch with the people, culture and landscapes. Before you travel to New Zealand , get your head stuck into one or all of these great reads to learn more about the land of the long white cloud .

Let these nonfiction and fiction novels be your New Zealand travel guide as you get lost in the pages before seeing the fantastic country up close and in real life. These New Zealand books will let your imagination run wild, then when you visit you can compare your thoughts and ideas with reality while exploring the north and south islands.

Pounamu Pounamu (1972) by Witi Ihimaera

Written by one of New Zealand’s most famous Maori authors, Witi Ihimaera is best known internationally for his novel Whale Rider that was also turned into a film . Dive a layer deeper and read Pounamu Pounamu, which is considered a literary classic. The New Zealand book is actually a series of short stories that explore what it is like to be a New Zealander, but from a Maori perspective. They examine the crossroads of Maori culture, tradition and family life in the 1960s in New Zealand. 

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The Penguin History of New Zealand (2003) by Michael King

Let this book about New Zealand’s history educate you with the most interesting facts and historic gems. Michael King was a leading historian and this book is an unchallenged contemporary reference on the history of New Zealand. Did you know it was the last place to be settled by humankind? Or that it was the first full democracy? From colonisation to independence, this novel charters everything including the relationships with the indigenous Maori people and all the social and cultural change over the years.

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Wild Journeys (2018) by Bruce Ansley

If you plan to travel to New Zealand, plan to spend time outdoors. It’s here that spectacular landscapes and incredible moments are made. In this non-fiction book, New Zealand travel guide Bruce Ansley tells the tales of the most iconic Kiwi journeys in history. Retrace the path of doomed surveyor John Whitcombe across the Southern Alps, sail around the north and south capes, hunt for the South Island’s Grey Ghost and so many more. Let these journeys inspire your own exploring.

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RELATED CONTENT: 5 local New Zealand travel experiences you can do that give back to the community  

Wildboy (2015) by Brando Yelavich

Let a young Brando Yelvich be your New Zealand travel guide as he circumnavigates the coastline by foot. In this true story a 19-year-old Brando spends 600 days walking 8700 kilometres across his country. Setting out for the adventure of a lifetime, this book about Brando is New Zealand’s answer to Bear Grylls. Read on as he takes you on a journey through the great outdoors, catching fish and hunting food, coming up close with seals, sharks and more.

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GET INSPIRED: Contrasts of New Zealand

We Can Make a Life (2018) by Chessie Henry

When Christchurch ws badly rattled by the 2011 earthquakes, Kaikōura-based doctor Chris Henry crawled through the burning CTV building to rescue those who were trapped. In this brave memoir his daughter Chessie interviews her father to better understand the trauma that led to his burnout, unravelling stories about her own family history, and the psychological cost of heroism, home and belonging along the way.

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Come on Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All (2008) by Christina Thompson

Another memoir, this New Zealand book illustrates a cultural collision between Maoris and Westerners from the 18th and early 19th century through to her own love story now. Grown from decades of research, this novel tells the extraordinary love story between Thompson, an American woman, and her husband, a Maori man, while looking back at the relationship between the two wildly different cultures. 

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The Luminaries (2013) by Eleanor Catton

If you love a long, challenging fiction read this complex novel twists fate, fortune and New Zealand’s gold rush into a page-turning tale. Set in 1866, a young Walter Moody arrives on a stormy night and is drawn in by a number of mysterious and unexplainable situations. Join him in this world of banking, shipping and the gold rush boom and bust.

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GET INSPIRED: New Zealand Uncovered

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (1954-55) by J. R. R. Tolkien

Okay, so reading about the fantasy set in Middle Earth isn’t exactly going to educate you about New Zealand and its many wonders. But since all three of the films, adapted from the books, are set exclusively in New Zealand, it might be worth brushing up on the fantasy series. There is also a behind-the-scenes book called Anything You Can Imagine by Ian Nathan that goes in-depth into the filming process with cast and crew interviews and more. If you travel to New Zealand and are a big LOTR fan, you absolutely must visit Hobbiton and other film locations.

If you are planning to travel to New Zealand, which New Zealand books would you read before departing? Let us know in the comments…

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55 Best Historical Fiction Books That Will Transport You to a Different Era

Historical flights of fancy.

W ho needs a time machine when you can pick up an incredible work of historical fiction (or a time travel book )? Historical fiction, at its core, is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting located in the past. Sound general? That's because the best thing about historical fiction books is how creative and diverse they can be. From historical mysteries to period romances to epic dramas to fantasies , historical fiction books can cover a wide range of stories, perspectives and events. Plus, you'll learn some (real) facts from reading them along the way, so it’s a win-win!

The books on this list were hand-picked for a number of reasons. Some of these historical novels are classics and rank among the  best books of all time, while others are more recent, critically acclaimed award winners. Some were chosen by  Reader's Digest book editors for their lasting appeal—look for the Reader's Digest Editor's Choice seal on those. Still others are brand-new works written by authors who previously knocked it out of the park or are audience favorites, according to Amazon and Goodreads.

Whatever topic you’re in the mood for, you’ll find it here. Just keep in mind that authors can take quite a bit of creative license, so you’ll want to double-check the facts and turn to a trusted source, like these nonfiction books and Holocaust books , for heavier topics. With that in mind, get ready to get swept away to another time and place. Happy reading!

Join the free Reader’s Digest Book Club for great reads, monthly discussions, author Q&As and a community of book lovers.

1. A Ballad of Love and Glory by Reyna Grande

Setting: 1840s, Mexico

Set during the Mexican-American War, this 2022 novel explores themes of colonialism, war and star-crossed love. Ximena Salomé, who is an army nurse, and John Riley, an Irish immigrant who deserts the Yankee army to fight on the Mexican side, find themselves swept up in passion and danger as the war intensifies around them. This sweeping novel has been lauded for its historical accuracy and for bringing an overlooked period in history to light with compelling characters and a deeply romantic love story. If you love to read about love, these enemies-to-lovers books will thrill you.

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2. The Circus Train by Amita Parikh

Setting: 1930s, Europe

Every moment is full of magic at the World of Wonders, Europe's finest traveling circus, and Amita Parikh's novel brings that magic to life on every page. One of the best historical fiction books of 2022, the story follows Lena Papadopoulos, a young woman struggling to find her place in the circus in a world that does not accept her disability. Fascinated by science and medicine, she clashes with her father, Theo, the master illusionist. When they rescue an orphaned boy named Alexandre, a friendship blossoms, and he joins the circus as Theo's apprentice. This luminous and spellbinding story takes place over two decades as World War II escalates around Lena and Alexandre. It's a tale of courage, passion, friendship and determination that will stay with readers long after the final page.

3. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Setting: 1700s, Ghana

This novel, set in 18th-century Ghana and originally published in 2016, follows two half sisters who've never met. One marries an Englishman and lives a luxurious life in the Cape Coast Castle, and the other ends up being sold into slavery from that very same castle. The book focuses on the theme of legacy as it follows eight generations of the half sisters' descendants in places as varied as Africa's Gold Coast, Mississippi and Harlem during the Jazz Age. Just how moving is Yaa Gyasi's seminal work? Homego ing was named one of Oprah's Best Books of the Year and a New Yo rk Tim es Notable Book, and it also won the prestigious PEN/Hemingway Award. Sounds like one of the best historical fiction books to us! Here are more of the best books by Black authors  you won't want to miss.

4. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

Setting: 1930s, Texas Panhandle

This 2021 bestselling novel , which has nearly 60,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, looks at a crumbling marriage against the backdrop of the Great Depression. Elsa Wolcott and Rafe Martinelli's marriage is dying, along with all of the crops on their Great Plains farm. Every day is a constant battle, but Elsa is determined not to give up. This  Reader's Digest editor's pick shows the resilience, hope and hardship among the everyday realities during the Great Depression while spinning a deeply immersive, character-driven story. It's one of the best new fiction books of the past few years, and you won't be able to put it down.

Looking for your next great book? Read four of today’s bestselling novels in the time it takes to read one with  Reader’s Digest Select Editions . And be sure to follow the Select Editions page on Facebook !

5. My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk

Setting: 1500s, Turkey

Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk deftly mixes historical fiction, mystery , and art in this fascinating novel , which was first published in 1998. In the story, the Ottoman sultan has commissioned several talented artists to secretly contribute to a book celebrating his reign, and when one artist goes missing, the rest are accused of being involved in his murder. This IMPAC Dublin Literary Award winner is both entertaining and informative, and when it came out, it earned high praise from numerous publications, including the New York Times Book Review, the Chicago Tribun e  and the New Yorker .

6. War Trash by Ha Jin

Setting: 1950s, Korea

This compelling novel , published in 2005, explores the often-overlooked experience of Chinese soldiers held in U.S. POW camps during the Korean War. It follows clerical officer Yu Yuan as he is taken prisoner by the United States and acts as an intermediary between his fellow prisoners and the American guards. The New York Times Book Review called this Pen/Faulkner Award winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist "nearly perfect." For a different take on history, these amazing memoirs will give you a new perspective.

7. Property by Valerie Martin

Setting: 1820s, Louisiana

Valerie Martin's 2004 historical novel explores the horrors of slavery from the perspective of a slave owner. Manon Gaudet is the mistress of a Louisiana sugar plantation in 1828, where she chafes under the orders of her husband and becomes obsessed with her slave Sarah, who also has a bitter relationship with Manon's husband. Toni Morrison called the novel a "fresh, unsentimental look at what slave-owning does to (and for) one's interior life." If you're always looking for something new to read apart from historical fiction books, these book subscription boxes will satisfy even the most avid readers.

8. The View from Castle Rock by Alice Munro

Setting: 1700s–present day, Scotland

Do you love reading historical fiction books but can't find the time to dedicate an afternoon to an entire novel? If so, you'll want to pick up Alice Munro's 2006 collection of short stories, The View from Castle Rock . A mix of historical and autobiographical fiction, the stories are fictionalized accounts of Munro's life and family history. If this isn't enough to convince you to give the book a try, maybe Munro's 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature (not to mention her slew of other awards) will do the trick.

9. Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow

Setting: 1900s, New York

E.L. Doctorow completely redefined historical fiction with his 1975 novel, Ragtime , which mixes both very real and very fictional characters into the landscape of early 20th-century New York. In addition to the well-off (and well-crafted) family at the center of the book, you'll meet the likes of Harry Houdini, Henry Ford, Sigmund Freud and more. This winner of the National Book Critics Circle Awards, which was also selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best fiction books of all time and was adapted into a movie , is sure to engage your intellect while thoroughly entertaining you.

10. A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

Setting: 1940s, Louisiana

Ernest J. Gaines's classic 1994 novel follows the story of Grant Wiggins, who returns to Jim Crow–era Louisiana to visit Jefferson, a man wrongly convicted of a crime who ends up on death row. Wiggins's discussions with Jefferson—which cover a wide range of topics, including race, discrimination, dignity, justice and the human condition—make the book worthy of its critical acclaim. The novel won the National Book Critics Circle Award and was described by the Chicago Tribune as "a book that will be read, discussed and taught beyond the rest of our lives." You may also want to pick up some of these books on racism to better understand how these issues affect America.

11. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Setting: 1960s, Nigeria

While you may know contemporary author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for her 2013 novel, Americanah , or her 2014 nonfiction book, We Should All Be Feminist s , her 2007 historical fiction work, Half of a Yellow Sun , is just as evocative and engaging. A recipient of the Women's Prize for Fiction "Winner of Winners" award, this novel is set during the Biafran War of the 1960s, as Biafra attempts to create an independent republic in southeastern Nigeria, and follows five compelling main characters you'll be completely invested in.

12. Yours Cheerfully by AJ Pearce

Setting: 1940s, England

Set during World War II, this heartwarming and uplifting historical fiction book zeroes in on Emmeline Lake, a young female wartime advice columnist who must make a difficult decision between fulfilling her duty and supporting her friends. This 2021 novel (by the author of the international bestseller Dear Mrs. Bird ) is perfect for those looking for a wartime story without major violence or gruesomeness. It just might be the perfect beach read for your next escape.

13. Thebes at War by Naguib Mahfouz

Setting: Ancient Egypt

Hailed as "the single most important writer in modern Arabic literature" by Newsday , Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz recreates ancient Egypt's triumphant defeat of Asiatic foreigners in northern Egypt in his novel Thebes at War . Originally published in Arabic in 1944, it was translated into English in 2003 and became an international success, known as one of the best historical fiction books ever written. The book is filled not just with facts but also exciting action scenes, intense victories and excruciating defeats to make for a thrilling and page-turning read.

14. Joseph and His Brothers by Thomas Mann

Nobel Prize winner Thomas Mann considered this retelling of the biblical story of Joseph to be his magnum opus. In it, he expounds on the story told in the Bible's Book of Genesis, during which Joseph was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers yet eventually rises to prominence. This historical novel , which was originally published in 1933 and took Mann 16 years to complete, transports readers to ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and Palestine as it follows the rise and fall of Joseph through four different parts.

15. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Setting: Pre–Civil War, United States

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, Best Book of the Year title by the New York Times Book Review and Wall Street Journal , and countless other awards, Colson Whitehead's 2016 novel is an exciting and provocative read. The book follows Cora and Caesar, two slaves who run away from their Georgia plantation using a not-quite-historically-accurate version of the underground railroad. As it changes between time period, location and character perspective, The Underground Railroad takes readers on a wild ride. If you're looking for something that sticks a bit more to the facts, try this list of the best biographies .

16. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Setting: 1940s, France

There's a reason that Anthony Doerr's 2014 World War II novel, All the Light We Cannot See , spent more than two-and-a-half years on the New York Times Best Seller list (in addition to winning a Pulitzer and being a finalist for the National Book Award). The story, which centers around the connection between a blind French girl and German boy and their journey through occupied France during World War II, is the perfect combination of fanciful and thrilling.

17. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Setting: 1520s, England

Hilary Mantel's reimagining of England in the 1520s and the lives of King Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell is so creative and enthralling, it's no surprise that this 2009 historical fiction novel won both the Man Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction. The themes of power, jealousy, religion and lust make this a page-turner for any avid Tudor fan—or anyone who loves reading about the royal family  and its scandals.

18. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

Setting: Pre–Civil War and the 1970s, United States

Talk about a historical novel with a twist. Octavia E. Butler's 1979 book Kindred tells the time-traveling story of Dana, a modern Black woman who is pulled from her home in California into the antebellum South, where she is a slave on the plantation of her ancestors. This book combines drama, suspense and important lessons on the history of racism and discrimination in our country and belongs on any list of the best historical fiction books.

19. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Setting: 1940s, Germany

Perhaps no book explains the power and importance of storytelling better than the 2005 novel The Book Thief . Markus Zusak crafts a story set in Nazi Germany that follows Liesel Meminger, a girl who steals books to share with her foster father, her neighbors and the Jewish man hidden in her basement. It was translated into 63 languages, with more than 16 million copies sold, and there's no mystery as to why this story of perseverance, humanity and literature became an international bestseller among historical fiction books.

20. The Second Life of Mirielle West by Amanda Skenandore

Setting: 1920s, Louisiana

How far can one socialite fall? That is the question that plagues main character Mirielle West in author Amanda Skenandore's 2021 novel . The life of a silent film star's wife is turned upside down when she's sent to Carville Lepers Home in Louisiana after a doctor suspects her of having the incurable disease. Stuck in what is more of a prison than a patient care center, Mirielle must redefine her purpose and make life worth fighting for. Based on the true story of America's only leper colony, this novel is a page-turner. If you're not sure what you're in the mood for, check out the best books for you, based on your zodiac sign  to narrow things down.

21. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

Setting: Ancient Israel

The Red Tent , first published in 1997, takes us back to biblical times as Anita Diamant reinvents the biblical story of Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, who is just briefly hinted at in the Book of Genesis. This look at the world of ancient motherhood is not only passionate but also essential in offering a new view of biblical women's lives.

22. I, Claudius by Robert Graves

Setting: Ancient Rome

This novel , originally published in 1934, is written in the form of an autobiography from the perspective of the Roman emperor Claudius. The book spans a large breath of time, recounting the early years of the Roman Empire, from Julius Caesar's assassination in 44 B.C. up to Caligula's assassination in A.D. 41. If you're absolutely hooked by the end, we've got some good news for you: Graves continued the saga in the sequel Claudius the God , which covers the remaining period of the historic figure's life.

23. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

Setting: 1840s, Canada

While Margaret Atwood may have become a household name thanks to her dystopian novel The Handmaid's Tale , her historical fiction books, including 1996's Alias Grac e , should not be overlooked. Set in 1843 and based on the real life of Grace Marks, this book follows Grace after she is convicted of murdering her employer and his housekeeper, who was also his mistress. The issue? Grace claims she has no memory of that day. This historical thriller won the Canadian Giller Prize, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and is one of the best books by a female author —and one you won't be able to get out of your head.

24. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Setting: 1940s–1950s, Japan

There's a reason why Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha , first published in 1997, was nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Grea t American Read . Both entertaining and extremely heartfelt, this novel follows the life of fictional geisha Nitta Sayuri and her story after being sold into slavery to a renowned geisha house in Kyoto, Japan; it's set before, during and after World War II. After you're done reading, make sure to check out the 2005 film based on the novel, which won three Academy Awards.

25. Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

Setting: 1600s, Holland

This 1999 novel , inspired by the famous 17th-century Johannes Vermeer painting of the same name, is for art and history lovers alike. In this fantastical rendering, Tracy Chevalier invents the story of the relationship between the painter, the model and the painting itself. With universal themes of restraint, love and womanhood, it's easy to see how it became an instant No. 1 New York Times bestseller.

26. Beloved by Toni Morrison

Setting: 1870s, Ohio

Another Pulitzer Prize–winning classic that deserves its rightful spot on our list of the absolute best historical fiction books, Toni Morrison's 1987 bestseller tells the story of Sethe, an escaped slave living in post–Civil War Ohio with her daughter, her mother-in-law and the spirit of her unnamed child, who calls herself Beloved. This masterfully poetic work conjures the pain and brutality of slavery in such a way that all modern audiences can see the institution's continuing effect on all of our lives. These Black poets also bring the realities of race and racism into their work.

27. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Setting: 1900s, Japan

This 2017 National Book Award finalist by Korean American author Min Jin Lee tells the story of four generations of a poor immigrant Korean family as they attempt to make a life for themselves in 20th-century Japan. The historical epic is perfect for anyone interested in character-driven novels about family, stereotypes and the power to overcome.

28. Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood

Setting: 1940s, New York

Historical fiction books and mysteries are a match made in heaven, and author Stephen Spotswood's 2020 novel, Fortune Favors the Dead , proves it beyond a shadow of a doubt. After Willowjean "Will" Parker and Lillian Pentecost become an unlikely detective duo, the two are faced with the case of Abigail Collins, who was murdered in the very same spot her husband had shot himself years before. Full of paranormal hijinks, the story features messages from the dead, vengeful spirits and a doomed romance. If you love all things spooky, you'll also want to peruse this list of the best horror books of all time.

29. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

Setting: 1920s–1950s, Russia

Amor Towles's 2016 novel , set in Moscow during the Stalin era, tells the story of Count Alexander Rostov, a Russian aristocrat who is sentenced to house arrest in a grand hotel by the Bolshevik tribunal. While Russian history unfolds outside his very hotel window, Rostov embarks on his own journey of emotional discovery from within the confines of the hotel walls. This elegant and finely constructed novel is sure to pull you away from the current realities of the world and take you to an era of both violence and refinement.

30. The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje

Setting: 1940s, Italy

While you've most likely heard of the 1996 film version of The English Patient , which racked up nine Academy Awards, the book by Michael Ondaatje is also highly decorated. Winner of the Booker Prize, the Governor General's Award and the Golden Man Booker, this 1992 novel tells the story of four unlikely characters brought together during the Italian Campaign of World War II. Secrets, romance and mystery abound.

31. Hungry Ghosts by Kevin Jared Hosein

Setting: 1940s, Trinidad

Kevin Jared Hosein takes readers to 1940s Trinidad in his forthcoming historical fiction novel, Hungry Ghosts , which begins as British colonialism and American occupation are drawing to a close. The story follows two families: the wealthy Changoors, who own Changoor farm, and their employees, the Saroop family, living in grinding poverty in the barracks below. When Dalton Changoor goes missing, the lives of the two families become intertwined in this fascinating and lyrical tale of class, religion, generational trauma and family. This much-anticipated book from a talented new Caribbean voice is due to drop on Feb. 7, 2023. For even more amazing reads, check out these wonderful Kindle Unlimited books .

32. Atonement by Ian McEwan

Setting: 1930s–1940s, England

At its core, Atonement is a story about a mistake and its aftermath. The 2001 novel centers around young Briony Tallis and the effects of an accusation she makes against Robbie Turner, the Tallis family's housekeeper and a close friend of Cecilia, Briony's older sister. Atonement is divided into three parts and a postscript, spanning from 1935 England to World War II–era England and France to present-day England. The 2007 movie adaptation features Keira Knightley, James McAvoy and a young Saoirse Ronan as Briony. Chances are, you'll find yourself shedding a few tears while you read this one. These other sad books will also tug at your heartstrings.

33. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Setting: 1960s, Mississippi

The Help centers on the lives of Aibileen and Minny, two Black maids, and Skeeter, a white recent college graduate who is deemed a social failure, as they separately and jointly navigate the tense social sphere of Jackson, Mississippi, in the early 1960s. When these three unlikely companions team up to write a tell-all tale about what it's truly like to work as a Black maid in the Jim Crow South, things change forever. This 2009 novel became an instant classic among historical fiction books, and despite controversy over the portrayal of the characters in relation to the author herself, it is still a book from which much can be learned.

34. The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd

From the New York Times bestselling author of Th e Secret Life of Bees and The Invention of Wings comes this creative 2020 novel about the imagined marriage of Jesus Christ. Ana is an ambitious and forward-thinking woman hailing from a wealthy family with ties to the ruler of Galilee. When she meets broad-minded 18-year-old Jesus, her life changes forever—and so does his. Critics say this feminist tale is painstakingly researched and expertly crafted, and readers love it too.

35. A Peculiar Combination by Ashley Weaver

From mystery to murder, action to romance, Edgar-nominated author Ashley Weaver's first novel in the Electra McDonnell series of historical fiction books offers something for everyone. The 2021 psychological thriller follows Electra, a young woman who breaks into houses of upper-crust London to keep her family business alive in war-torn England. After getting caught during one such heist by a government official, the two form an unlikely pair to solve a mystery in order to stop Allied plans from falling into the wrong hands.

36. Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

Setting: 1660s, England

This 2001 novel , set in England in 1666, has some surprising ties to our current realities. The story follows the spread of a plague from London to an isolated village. Anna Frith, a handmaid, becomes an unlikely healer and heroine in this story of perseverance and the human spirit. What happens when a year of horrors becomes one's year of wonders? This imaginative and utterly compelling addition to our best historical fiction books list, which was inspired by the true story of a village named Eyam, was chosen as both a New York Times and Washington Post Notable Book.

37. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

Setting: 1920s, France

A New York Times bestseller, The Paris Wife chronicles the love affair between Ernest Hemingway and his first wife, Hadley Richardson, and is told from the latter's perspective. After a whirlwind courtship and engagement in Chicago, the two set sail for Paris in the 1920s. But as the Jazz Age heats up and Ernest pours himself into his work, their relationship goes through many ups and downs. A tale of love, betrayal and romance, this 2011 book is as fresh and relevant as ever.

38. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Setting: Mid- to late-1800s, Georgia

We'd be remiss if we didn't mention Margaret Mitchell's classic 1936 novel on a list of historical fiction books. This Pulitzer Prize–winning tale of romance, survival and the human spirit hardly needs an introduction. But a word of warning: Gone with the Wind 's depiction of the Civil War and Reconstruction Era in the American South isn't particularly accurate and is highly whitewashed, which is why it's also on this list of beloved books that didn't age well .

39. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Setting: 1960s, Congo

Barbara Kingsolver expertly weaves a story about the Prices, a missionary family who relocate from the U.S. state of Georgia to the village of Kilanga in the Belgian Congo in 1959. But when they arrive, they realize that the village is not what they were expecting. Set against the tumultuous historical backdrop of the Congo's fight for independence from Belgium, the murder of its first elected prime minister and the CIA coup to install his replacement, this 1998 novel tells the sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes hopeful tale of three generations living in postcolonial Africa.

40. The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

Setting: Early 1900s, New York

Belle da Costa Greene is hired by the esteemed J.P. Morgan as his personal librarian. Because of this role, Belle quickly becomes a fixture in the New York society scene and is viewed as a beacon of art, literature and all things splendid. But what seems like a dream job is a constant threat for Belle, who's hiding a big secret in 1906 America: She's a Black woman who passes for white. This 2021 New York Times bestseller touches on themes of race, legacy and hope, with messages that still resonate in modern-day America. Stay apprised of all the best new books by joining one of these online book clubs .

41. The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman

Setting: 1800s, Saint Thomas

Alice Hoffman mixes history with romance in her 2015 novel, The Marriage of Opposites , a retelling of the story of the woman who gave birth to Camille Pissarro, the Father of Impressionism. Rachel is a rebellious and strong female character growing up in a Jewish refugee community on Saint Thomas in the early 1800s. After being married off to an old widower who dies suddenly, Rachel meets Frédérick, her late husband's much younger nephew. The rest, as they say, is history—or, perhaps better yet, one of the most compelling historical fiction books you'll read this year.

42. Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott

Setting: Middle Ages, England

This 19th-century classic revisits England in the Middle Ages as Sir Walter Scott delves into the conflicts between the Crown and the Barons, the Norman overlords and the conquered Saxons, and Richard the Lionheart and his brother, Prince John. Ivanhoe is credited with increasing interest in chivalric romance as a literary category.

43. The Lieutenant's Nurse by Sarah Ackerman

Setting: 1940s, the Pacific

In this novel set before, during and after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, author Sarah Ackerman paints a vivid picture of the heroic American wartime nurses. Eva Cassidy, a newly enlisted Army Corps nurse, finds herself on the glamorous SS Lurline with the dashing yet mysterious Lt. Clark Spencer. But when Pearl Harbor is bombed and the United States' involvement in World War II becomes imminent, Eva must band together with her fellow nurses to keep the American wounded alive. Filled with romance, hardship and hope, this 2019 tale has something for everyone. Need a brief break from historical fiction books? Curl up on the couch with one of these beloved romantic movies .

44. The Whispers of War by Julia Kelly

How far would you go to protect your friends? It's 1939, and the threat of war is looming in England for childhood best friends Nora, Hazel and Marie. When Germany invades Poland, German expat Marie is labeled an enemy and threatened to be put into an internment camp. The three friends find themselves fighting to keep Marie free—and fighting for their friendship. Pu blishers Weekly praised this 2019 novel as "intricate, tender and convincing."

45. Essex Dogs by Dan Jones

Setting: 1340s, England

The first in a forthcoming trilogy of historical fiction books by acclaimed historian Dan Jones, Essex Dogs is due to hit shelves on Feb. 7, 2023. It's July of 1346, and 10 men have just landed on a Normandy beach: the Essex Dogs, a tight-knit group of men-at-arms led by an experienced (if slightly over-the-hill) captain. Set during the Hundred Years' War, over a century of warfare over the French throne, this novel examines the harsh realities of medieval warfare from the perspective of soldiers and civilians alike. As the Dogs fight their way toward Crécy, they are also fighting to survive in a war in which rules have been abandoned and chivalry cast aside. The level of historical accuracy in this triumphant fiction debut will thrill and intrigue readers, but you might need to pick up a feel-good book afterward to take the edge off.

46. Clark and Division by Naomi Hirahara

Setting: 1940s, Chicago

Aki Ito and her parents have just been released from Manzanar, the Japanese internment camp they had been sent to after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Just as they're about to reunite with Aki's older sister, Rose, in Chicago, they learn that Rose has mysteriously died. Aki sets off to uncover the mystery of Rose's death while also coming to terms with the heartbreaking discrimination Japanese American families faced during this time period.  Clark and Division is one of the best historical fiction books of 2021 and is particularly amazing considering the 30 years of research author Naomi Hirahara completed on Japanese American history in order to write it. If you're looking for material for a younger audience, these children's books about diversity will address difficult topics in an age-appropriate way.

47. The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan

From author Jennifer Ryan comes an uplifting story of passion, drive and femininity. It's the midst of World War II, and England is beginning to feel its losses. In order to boost morale, the BBC creates a wartime cooking competition with an incredible prize: the chance for the winner to become the program's first-ever female co-host. Four women enter the competition with different reasons for wanting to win, but will they band together when they need it most, or will their competitive streaks break them apart? Reviewers from Reader's Dig est , Booklist  and NPR rave that this 2021 book is a delightful and satisfying page-turner.

48. The Last Dance of the Debutante by Julia Kelly

Setting: 1950s, England

It's time to get whisked away in a whirl of ball gowns, glitz and glamor. The Last Dance of the Debutante , the newest of Julia Kelly's historical fiction books (published in 2022), follows three unlikely friends as they navigate the last debutante season in 1958 London, during which they will be presented to Queen Elizabeth II . But when Lily Nichols learns a secret that threatens to devastate her family, the season takes a turn, and these young women learn what's really important in life.

49. The Children's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin

Setting: 1880s, the Great Plains

This gripping tale of survival, resilience and courage, published in 2022 by the author of The Aviator's Wife , is based on the true story of the Schoolhouse Blizzard of 1888. In it, two schoolteacher sisters, Raina and Gerda Olsen, are faced with the difficult decision of how to save their students when an unexpected blizzard strikes. While fictionalized, this story about nature threatening the lives of hundreds of immigrant families is as important as it is riveting. It's just one of the many historical fiction books that are relevant today.

50. The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel

All that is forgotten isn't always lost—or so says Kristin Harmel's 2020 historical novel, The Book of Lost Names . The story centers around Eva Traube Abrams, a graduate student forced to flee Paris at the start of World War II. Eva begins forging identity documents for Jewish children, hoping to escape to neutral Switzerland with the help of fellow forger Rémy. But Eva has also been keeping a record of the children's true identities in the Book of Lost Names, which leads to a moment that will come back to haunt her years down the line. One of the best historical fiction books, this story will stay with you long after the final page.

51. The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers

Setting: 1940s, North Carolina

You're going to want to get your hands on this 2022 novel about lesser-known women's activism during the post-war period. It follows Maddie Sykes, a young seamstress who relocates to Bright Leaf, North Carolina, to join her aunt's sewing business. Bright Leaf just so happens to be the Big Tobacco capital of the South, and her aunt's clientele includes the glamorous wives of the tobacco executives. But when Maddie uncovers evidence that links Big Tobacco to the declining health of Bright Leaf's citizens, she has to make a big decision: do what's best for her fellow man ... or what's best for her. In your own life, these self-help books can help you tackle your own brand of tricky decisions.

52. The Mad Girls of New York by Maya Rodale

Setting: 1880s, New York

Maya Rodale weaves a tale about the life of famous Gilded Age reporter Nellie Bly and her undercover escapades at Blackwell's Island Insane Asylum for Women in this 2022 publication . The book follows Nellie as she uncovers the horrible conditions that Blackwell patients were subject to. What starts off as a way to prove her ability in the male-dominated field of early journalism turns into a mission far greater.

53. The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis

Setting: 1920s, New York

Among the best historical fiction books published in 2022, The Magnolia Palace follows the story of 21-year-old Lillian Carter. After losing her mother to the influenza pandemic of 1919, Lillian jumps at the chance to be employed as the secretary to Helen Frick. But as time goes on and Lillian's life becomes more and more intertwined with that of the infamous New York family, the stakes become high—life-or-death high. Full of secrets, mystery, murder and romance, this Reader's Digest favorite will likely become one of yours too.

54. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

While Kristin Hannah's 2017 novel, The Nighting ale , is set during World War II, it's not your typical war story. Instead, Hannah reimagines this volatile time from a female perspective, telling the story of two sisters, Vianne and Isabelle, as they separately navigate German-occupied France. Vianne gets her home requisitioned by a German captain and must make impossible choices in order to keep herself and her daughter alive. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Isabelle falls in love with Gaetan, who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France. But what happens when he betrays her? A deeply moving tale about the resilience of women, this bestselling fan favorite among historical fiction books will stay with you long after the last page.

55. Loyalty by Lisa Scottoline

Setting: 1800s, Sicily

For readers who enjoy a thriller along with their historical fiction books, the latest book (dropping March 28, 2023) from bestselling author Lisa Scottoline is a must-buy. Tracing the rise of the Mafia in 19th-century Sicily, the novel will transport you to Italy for a classic tale of good versus evil. Franco Fiorvanti grows lemons for the baron; he dreams of rising above his station, but Sicily's immovable class system thwarts his ambition—until the baron asks him to commit a terrible deed. Meanwhile, young lawyer Gaetano Catalano is part of a secret society of aristocrats who investigate crime. His newest case will take him to a dark place. Years pass, and the mystery deepens, and readers will happily go along for the ride in this unputdownable new novel. For a totally different type of read, our favorite sci-fi novels will take you well out of the past and into futuristic worlds.

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