Best Historical Fiction Books Like The Women: 5 Picks

If The Women left you wanting more historical fiction with brave heroines, this list is your next shelf. The best historical fiction books like The Women share its DNA: strong women facing war and upheaval, deep research, and stories that linger. We compared five books on story, pages and reading age, using only what each listing publishes.

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The picks

#	Product	Shelf Score	Buy
1	The Calamity Club by Stockett	9.6/10	Buy
2	The Nightingale by Hannah	9.6/10	Buy
3	The Women by Hannah	9.6/10	Buy
4	The Alice Network by Quinn	9.5/10	Buy
5	The Frozen River by Lawhon	9.5/10	Buy

1

The Calamity Club by Stockett

Kathryn Stockett·9.6/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A Depression-era tale of unbreakable women, 656 pages, from the author of The Help.

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Pros

• 656 pages, the longest here
• Reading age 16 years and up stated
• From the author of The Help

Cons

• No warranty term is stated
• 2026 publication; the newest and least proven
• Depression setting may feel heavy after war novels

2

The Nightingale by Hannah

Kristin Hannah·9.6/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

Two sisters in WWII France, 608 pages, Goodreads Best Historical Novel of the Year.

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Pros

• 608 pages of sisters' war stories
• Goodreads Best Historical Novel of the Year per listing
• Same author as The Women

Cons

• No warranty term is stated
• No reading age is stated
• Emotionally intense; not a light read

3

The Women by Hannah

Kristin Hannah·9.6/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A Vietnam nurse's story, 480 pages, the namesake of this list.

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Pros

• The book this list is built around
• Intimate portrait of a nurse in Vietnam
• 480 pages, a solid single-sitting weekend read

Cons

• No warranty term is stated
• No reading age is stated
• If you have read it, it is a reread not a discovery

4

The Alice Network by Quinn

Kate Quinn·9.5/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

Female spies across two world wars, 560 pages, a Reese Witherspoon book club pick.

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Pros

• 560 pages across WWI and WWII
• Reese Witherspoon book club pick
• Dual timeline with a spy and a socialite

Cons

• No warranty term is stated
• No reading age is stated
• Dual timelines can slow the pace

5

The Frozen River by Lawhon

Ariel Lawhon·9.5/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

An 18th-century midwife investigates a murder, 449 pages, a GMA book club pick.

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Pros

• 449 pages, the quickest read here
• GMA book club pick
• Inspired by a real midwife's diary

Cons

• No warranty term is stated
• No reading age is stated
• Mystery focus differs from war epics

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More picks to compare

• The Lion Women of Tehran352 pages, friendship in 1950s TehranCheck on Amazon
• Carnegie's Maid by Benedict352 pages, 19th century PittsburghCheck on Amazon
• The Prayer Box by Wingate400 pages, book 1 of 3, Hatteras IslandCheck on Amazon
• Churchill's Secret Messenger416 pages, WWII spy, French ResistanceCheck on Amazon
• These Tangled Threads368 pages, Biltmore Estate, 1924Check on Amazon

Compare the picks

Specifications are manufacturer rated as listed, collected 19 October 2026.

How we scored them

The Shelf Score weighs performance, build, value, safety and warranty. For adult fiction, safety means a stated reading age; only the Calamity Club states one (16 years and up). None of the five states a warranty term. How we pick explains the weights.

Scores run from 9.2 to 9.8: each book’s point total is placed on that range, so more points always means a higher score. Reading age or level counts on a list where at least one listing gives one, and a book whose listing gives none then scores zero on it. Where no listing gives one, the score is taken over the other 85 points. Books carry no warranty, so warranty is not scored.

How to choose the best historical fiction books like The Women

Pick your war

The Women follows a Vietnam nurse, the Nightingale follows two sisters in WWII France, the Alice Network spans both world wars through female spies, and the Frozen River is an 18th-century murder mystery. Match the era to your mood. See every book club books list for more discussion picks.

Check the page count

The Calamity Club runs 656 pages, the Nightingale 608, the Alice Network 560, The Women 480, and the Frozen River 449. Longer books mean a bigger commitment; the Frozen River is the quickest read here.

Note the reading age

Only the Calamity Club states a reading age: 16 years and up. The others state none, so they suit adult readers by default.

Book club potential

The Frozen River is a GMA book club pick and the Alice Network a Reese Witherspoon book club pick, both with discussion-ready themes. The Calamity Club centers on friendship and defiance in 1933 Mississippi.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which book is most like The Women?

The Nightingale, by the same author, follows two sisters through WWII France with the same focus on women’s war stories, at 608 pages.

Which pick is the longest?

The Calamity Club at 656 pages, then the Nightingale at 608, the Alice Network at 560, The Women at 480, and the Frozen River at 449.

Are any of these part of a series?

The listings describe all five as standalone novels. The Alice Network and Frozen River are by authors with other historical novels.

Which pick suits a book club?

The Frozen River and the Alice Network are both book club picks with layered mysteries. See our best historical fiction books with a female protagonist for more.

Is there a WWII pick besides the Nightingale?

The Alice Network covers both world wars through a female spy network, and our best historical fiction books about nazi germany list goes deeper on that era.

Still deciding? Our top pickThe Calamity Club by Stockett

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Related lists

See every book club books list and all fiction lists. Also see our best historical fiction books with a female protagonist. Also see our best historical fiction books about nazi germany.

More lists: historical fiction with female protagonists and historical fiction about nazi germany.