Books like The land beyond the sea by Sharon Kay Penman

During World War II, a foster girl in Nazi Germany steals books to share with neighbors and a hidden Jewish man, proving literature’s power to nourish the soul amid darkness.

A historical novel set in the 12th century, focusing on the building of a cathedral and the surrounding community's fortunes amidst historical events of the time.

Sisters Vianne and Isabelle are pulled into the turmoil of World War II, each forging a path of courage and resistance against the Nazi occupation of France.

A sweeping saga set in ninth‑century England, following Uhtred of Bebbanburg as he shifts between Viking and Saxon loyalties while King Alfred the Great battles the Scythe‑touched invaders.

Craig of the Mohicans, a frontier scout turns away from civilization, forming a bond with a Mohican warrior as they escort two sisters across the perilous wilderness of America's frontier.

A runaway slave named Henry escapes his cruel master, joins abolitionist John Brown, and disguises himself as a girl to survive the 1859 Harpers Ferry raid in Kansas Territory.

A dark New England mansion, the House of the Seven Gables, casts an ancestral curse over the Pyncheon family, revealing secrets, mysterious deaths, and a complex mix of gothic, historical, and moral themes.

Mario Puzo traces the rise of the Borgia family, revealing the intertwined forces of ambition, faith, and power that shaped one of Italy’s most notorious dynasties.

Natty Bumppo's first journey into frontier life and the challenges of defending his freedom against dangerous Indians and the corrupting influence of a ruthless new lawman, setting the stage for the larger story of The Last of the Mohicans.

In 1888 East London, tea‑factory worker Fiona Finnegan and her lover Joe Bristow dream of owning a shop. After tragedy forces her into New York, Fiona rises from a modest storefront to a top tea‑industry magnate, only to confront her past to secure her future.

"In 1945, Jewish refugees by the thousands set out for Palestine. Those who made it relied on the underground to shelter them; taking false names, they blended with the population, joining the wildly different factions fighting for independence. "City of Secrets" follows one survivor, Brand, as he tries to regain himself after losing everyone he's ever loved. Now driving a taxi provided--like his new identity--by the underground, he navigates the twisting streets of Jerusalem as well as the overlapping, sometimes deadly loyalties of the resistance. Alone, haunted by memories, Brand tries to become again the man he was before the war--honest, strong, capable of moral choice. He falls in love with Eva, a fellow survivor and member of his cell, and commits himself to the revolution, accepting missions that grow more and more dangerous even as he suspects he's being used by his cell's dashing leader, Asher. By the time Brand understands the truth, it's too late." -- jacket.

Young Vasilisa, dubbed a witch by her village, disguises herself as a boy and rides into Moscow, where her gifts earn her honor—and a grave threat to the city becomes hers to confront.

In a period of Jewish exile, Lilah vows to forsake a Persian marriage for her faith; when her brother demands Jewish men abandon foreign wives, she defies the law to protect her culture.

A Japanese-American man refuses to join the war, leading to societal and familial consequences.

A fictionalized account of Israel Potter's life and experiences, featuring famous American Revolution figures like Benjamin Franklin and John Paul Jones.

Short stories of life in a Louisiana bayou, featuring the Creole way of life and miscegenation, written by Kate Chopin, a prominent figure in American literature.

A contemporary Scottish writer uncovers a secret from 1708 involving a Jacobite invasion and a long‑lost tragedy, as a haunting ancestral memory threatens to unleash the buried truth for all to see.

An eleven‑year‑old English girl and her younger brother flee wartime London and journey across the Atlantic to America, chronicling their adventures and the obstacles posed by World War II bombing raids.

Ramses the Damned follows an ancient Egyptian pharaoh, reawakened to immortality, as he confronts the resurrected Queen Cleopatra in Edwardian England, exploring themes of eternal power and supernatural intrigue.