52 Canadian historical novels

Adeline's Dream is the first installment of the realistic fiction novel series From Many Peoples written by Linda Aksomitis. It was first published by Coteau Books in 2006.

Alias Grace is a novel of historical fiction by Canadian writer Margaret Atwood. First published in 1996 by McClelland & Stewart, it won the Canadian Giller Prize and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

The Bandy Papers is a series of novels chronicling the exploits of a World War I fighter ace named Bartholomew Wolfe Bandy. The author, Donald Jack, himself served in the RAF during World War II. Every book in the Bandy Papers series contains the word "me" in the title, as do many of the chapter titles, which can also be interpreted as photo captions. The first novel was Three Cheers for Me (1962), but it was later expanded into three books, the first three below, one of which was then republished in two parts:Three Cheers for Me (1973) That's Me in the Middle (1973) It's Me Again (1975), also published in two volumes as It's Me Again and Me Among the Ruins Me Bandy, You Cissie (1979) Me Too (1983) This One's On Me (1987) Me So Far (1989) Hitler vs. Me (1996) Stalin vs. Me (2005)

Black Robe, first published in 1985, is an historical novel by Brian Moore set in New France in the 17th century. Its central theme is the collision of European and Native American cultures soon after first contact. First Nations peoples historically called French Jesuit priests "Black Robes" because of their religious habit.

The Book of Negroes is a 2007 award-winning novel from Canadian writer Lawrence Hill. In the United States, Australia and New Zealand, the novel was published under the title Someone Knows My Name.

Clara Callan is a novel by Canadian writer Richard B. Wright, published in 2001. It is the story of a woman in her thirties living in Ontario during the 1930s and is written in epistolary form, utilizing letters and journal entries to tell the story. The protagonist, Clara, faces the struggles of being a single woman in a rural community in the early 20th century. The novel won the Governor General's Award in English fiction category, the Scotiabank Giller Prize, and the Trillium Book Award.

Clothar the Frank is a Canadian historical fiction novel by Jack Whyte that continues his Arthurian Cycle as told in A Dream of Eagles series of novels. Outside of Canada, the novel has the title The Lance Thrower and is edited differently from the Canadian version.

Coming Through Slaughter is a novel by Michael Ondaatje, published by House of Anansi in 1976. It was the winner of the 1976 Books in Canada First Novel Award.

Conceit is a novel by the Canadian author Mary Novik, published in 2007 by Doubleday Canada.

The Eagles' Brood is a 1994 historical novel by Jack Whyte set in Post-Roman Britain. It is the third in Whyte's series The Camulod Chronicles. The novel develops the relationship between Merlyn and Uther as the two become military leaders of Camulod.

The English Patient is a 1992 novel by Michael Ondaatje. The book follows four dissimilar people brought together at an Italian villa during the Italian Campaign of World War II. The four main characters are: an unrecognisably burned man — the eponymous patient, presumed to be English; his Canadian Army nurse, a Sikh British Army sapper, and a Canadian thief. The story occurs during the North African Campaign and centres on the incremental revelations of the patient's actions prior to his injuries, and the emotional effects of these revelations on the other characters. The story is told by multiple characters and "authors" of books the characters are reading. The book won the 1992 Booker Prize, the 2018 Golden Man Booker, and the Governor General's Award.

Execution is a 1958 war novel by Canadian novelist and Second World War veteran Colin McDougall (1917–1984). Although it won McDougall the 1958 Governor General's Award for English-language fiction, it was his only novel, and after publishing it to wide acclaim he retreated into a quiet life as Registrar of McGill University in Montreal. Nevertheless, Execution stands with Timothy Findley's The Wars and Hugh MacLennan's Barometer Rising as one of the most widely read and studied Canadian war novels of the twentieth century.

A Fine Balance is the second novel by Rohinton Mistry. Set in "an unidentified city" in India, initially in 1975 and later in 1984 during the turmoil of The Emergency, the book concerns four characters from varied backgrounds – Dina Dalal, Ishvar Darji, his nephew Omprakash Darji and the young student Maneck Kohlah – who come together and develop a bond.

The Fort at River's Bend is a 1997 historical novel by Canadian novelist Jack Whyte. Written as part of a single book, The Sorcerer, it was split for publishing purposes. The book encompasses the beginning of Arthur's education at a long abandoned Roman fort, where he is taught most of the skills needed to rule, and fight for, the people of Britain. The novel is part of the Camulod Chronicles, a series of books which devise the context in which the Arthurian legend could have been placed had it been historically founded.

Four Steps to Death is a historical novel by John Wilson, first published in 2005. It is about the horrors and tragedies of the Battle of Stalingrad. The plot revolves around the lives of various characters involved in the battle on both sides of the conflict and shows how horrible war can be.

Margaret's Museum is a 1995 British, Canadian drama film, directed by Mort Ransen and based on Sheldon Currie's novel The Glace Bay Miners' Museum.

The Golden Dog was a novel by William Kirby (1817–1906) that was written between April 1869 and 1872, with further revisions being up through 1876. After being rejected by several publishers, the work was finally arranged to be published in 1877 by Lovell, Adam, Wesson and Company. However, because the publisher neglected to register the novel, the author lost any royalties to this work. He received a sum total of $100–200 for the publication.

The Grave is a time travel novel by Canadian author James Heneghan, set in 1970s Liverpool and in Ireland and Liverpool in the mid-nineteenth century. The novel was published in 2000.

Half-Blood Blues is a fictional work written by Canadian writer Esi Edugyan, and first published in June 2011 by Serpent’s Tail. The book's dual narrative centers around Sidney "Sid" Griffiths, a journeyman jazz bassist. Griffiths' friend and bandmate, Hieronymus "Hiero" Falk, is caught on the wrong side of 1939 Nazi ideology, and is essentially lost to history. Some of his music does survive, however, and half a century later, fans of Falk discover his forgotten story.

The Hand of Robin Squires, is a 1977 historical adventure novel written by Joan Clark. The story takes place in 1703 and is linked to finds in the alleged Money Pit on Oak Island off the coast of Nova Scotia. When his father, Charles, dies after coming back from America, Robin Squires agrees to join his uncle and help him build an underground complex of tunnels, and assemble a pump that his father had invented. Once he has left England he quickly discovers that his uncle is a pirate, seeking to hide his treasure. Robin, and a captured Mi'kmaq Indian, Actaudin, who has become his friend, are forced to build along with his uncle's black slaves. In the end Robin was chained by a wristlock, and his Uncle had ordered his first mate to murder him after his job was complete because they wanted no loose ends, it was Actaudin who came back to rescue Robin. He uses an axe to cut off Robin's hand to remove the lock. Billy Boles pursued them into the wilderness and was mauled by a bear. Robin goes to Boston to pay his passage for England and meets an old sailor who tells him how the Queen's Privateer went down in a storm.

In the Shadow of Midnight is a 1994 historical novel by Canadian author Marsha Canham, the second instalment of her "Medieval" trilogy inspired by the Robin Hood legend set in 13th-century England. The story centres on the rescue of Princess Eleanor of Brittany, the rightful heiress to the English throne, who is held captive by her uncle King John. The novel was published by Dell Publishing in 1994 as a sequel to Canham's 1991 story, Through a Dark Mist.

John Paul's Rock is a novel published in 1932 by Canadian writer Frank Parker Day, about a Mi'kmaq guide who fled into Nova Scotia to escape white man's law.

Kamouraska is a novel written by Anne Hébert and published in 1970. Written in French, the book has been translated into many languages.

The King's Last Song is a novel by Canadian author Geoff Ryman. It was first published in 2006 by HarperCollins in the UK. It was published in the United States in 2008 by Small Beer Press.

The Last Arrow is a 1997 historical novel by Canadian author Marsha Canham, the third instalment of her "Medieval" trilogy inspired by the Robin Hood legend set in 13th-century England. The novel was published by Dell Publishing in 1997 as a sequel to Canham's 1994 story In the Shadow of Midnight. It received generally positive reviews from book critics.

The Law of Dreams is a historical fiction novel about the Great Famine of Ireland by Canadian author Peter Behrens. Published in 2006 by House of Anansi Press, it was the recipient of that year's Governor General's Award for English language fiction.

Little Red Lies is a 2013 young adult novel by Canadian author Julie Johnston. The novel is set immediately after World War II in a small Canadian town.

Muse is a 2013 novel by the Canadian author Mary Novik. It is set in 14th century Avignon.. The book follows Solange, a fictional character based on Laura de Noves, supposedly the mistress of the Italian poet Francesco Petrarch and the unnamed mother of his children.

No Great Mischief is a 1999 novel by Alistair MacLeod.

Obasan is a novel by the Japanese-Canadian author Joy Kogawa. First published by Lester and Orpen Dennys in 1981, it chronicles Canada's internment and persecution of its citizens of Japanese descent during the Second World War from the perspective of a young child. In 2005, it was the One Book, One Vancouver selection.

The Orenda is a historical novel by Canadian author Joseph Boyden. It was published by Hamish Hamilton in 2013.

Pit Pony is a children's historical novel written by Joyce Barkhouse. It was published in 1990 and won the first Ann Connor Brimer Award. Pit Pony was adapted for television in 1997 and 1999.

Rockbound is a novel published in 1928 by Canadian writer Frank Parker Day.

The Salt Roads is a novel by Canadian-Jamaican writer Nalo Hopkinson, published in 2003. It has been categorized as historical fiction, speculative fiction, science fiction, and magical realism.

The Saxon Shore is a 1995 novel by Canadian writer Jack Whyte chronicling Caius Merlyn Britannicus's effort to return the baby Arthur to the colony of Camulod and the political events surrounding this. The book is a portrayal of the Arthurian Legend set against the backdrop of Post-Roman Britain's invasion by Germanic peoples. It is part of the A Dream of Eagles series, which attempts to explain the origins of the Arthurian legends against the backdrop of a historical setting. This is a deviation from other modern depictions of King Arthur such as Once and Future King and the Avalon series which rely much more on mystical and magical elements and less on the historical.

The Second Life of Samuel Tyne (2004) is the debut novel of Canadian author Esi Edugyan. It was set in Amber Valley, Alberta, an historic settlement of African-American homesteaders from the United States in the early 20th century. The novel was shortlisted for the Hurston-Wright Legacy Award.

The Sentimentalists is a novel by Canadian writer Johanna Skibsrud that was the winner of the 2010 Scotiabank Giller Prize.

Shanghai: The Ivory Compact is an epic historical novel by Canadian theatre director and acting coach David Rotenberg. Spanning several centuries of the history of the city of Shanghai, it is one of the longest novels ever published. While Shanghai was written as a stand-alone story, it includes cameo appearances by young versions of characters who appear in Rotenberg's detective series set in contemporary Shanghai. Shanghai received critical acclaim and sold well worldwide.

The Silver Chalice is a 1952 English language historical novel by Thomas B. Costain. It is the fictional story of the making of a silver chalice to hold the Holy Grail and includes 1st century biblical and historical figures: Luke, Joseph of Arimathea, Simon Magus and his companion Helena, and the apostle Peter.

The Singing Sword is a historical fiction novel written by Jack Whyte, first published in 1993. It is the second novel in "A Dream of Eagles" series. Publishers Weekly described Whyte's approach to historical fiction as a "dirt-beneath-the nails version of the Arthurian "Camulod"" and praised it as "a top-notch Arthurian tale forged to a sharp edge in the fires of historical realism".

The Skystone is a historical fiction novel written by Jack Whyte, which was first published in 1992. The story is told by a Roman Officer called Publius Varrus, who is an expert blacksmith as well as a soldier. In the early fifth century, amid the violent struggles between the people of Britain and the invading Saxons, Picts and Scots, he and his former General, Caius Britannicus, forge the government and military system that will become known as the Round Table, and initiate a chain of events that will lead to the coronation of the High King known as Arthur.

Solomon Gursky Was Here is a novel by Canadian author Mordecai Richler first published by Viking Canada in 1989.

The Stone Carvers (2001) is a novel by the Canadian writer Jane Urquhart, focusing on the historical events of World War I, and the fictional town of Shoneval, Ontario.

Street of Riches is a novel by the Canadian author Gabrielle Roy.

Through a Dark Mist is a 1991 historical fiction novel by Canadian author Marsha Canham, the first instalment of her "Medieval" trilogy inspired by the Robin Hood legend set in 13th-century England. The story centers on the rivalry and enmity between two brothers each claiming to be one man – Lucien Wardieu, Baron De Gournay. The heroine, Lady Servanne de Briscourt, finds herself caught in the middle when she is betrothed to one but falls in love with the other. The novel was published by Dell Publishing in 1991.

Under Heaven is a fantasy novel by Canadian author Guy Gavriel Kay. It is his eleventh novel and was published in April 2010 by Viking Canada. Set in a fantasied Tang China, it is Kay's first work set outside of a fantasied European or Mediterranean setting. The novel is based on a fictionalized version of the An Shi Rebellion. Under Heaven takes place in a completely new world, as seen by it having only one moon as opposed to the two moons normally present in Guy Gavriel Kay's works. In 2013 he published a second novel, River of Stars, set approximately 400 years later in the same world.

Undermajordomo Minor is a 2015 novel by Canadian-born author Patrick deWitt. It is his third novel and was published by House of Anansi Press on September 5, 2015. The novel is a gothic fable set in an unspecified time and location that has been compared to 19th-century Central and Eastern Europe.

Us Conductors is a debut novel by Canadian writer Sean Michaels. Published in 2014 by Random House in Canada and Tin House in the United States, the novel is a fictionalized account of the relationship between Léon Theremin, the inventor of the theremin, and Clara Rockmore, the musician regarded as the instrument's first virtuoso player.

The Wars is a 1977 novel by Timothy Findley that follows Robert Ross, a nineteen-year-old Canadian who enlists in World War I after the death of his beloved older sister in an attempt to escape both his grief and the social norms of oppressive Edwardian society. Drawn into the madness of war, Ross commits "a last desperate act to declare his commitment to life in the midst of death." Years later, a historian tries to piece together how he came to commit this act, interviewing the various people Ross interacted with.

Wenjack is a historical fiction novella based on the story of Chanie "Charlie" Wenjack by Canadian author Joseph Boyden. It was published by Hamish Hamilton of Penguin Books in 2016 and features illustrations by Cree artist Kent Monkman. It was part of a collaborative effort to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Chanie's death. The book follows Chanie Wenjack, a 12-year-old Ojibwe boy, as he escapes from a Northern Ontario residential school in the futile hopes of returning home to his family and two dogs. It alternates between Chanie's perspective and the perspectives of Manitous, who take on different animal forms to keep a silent watch on Chanie as he walks on foot to a home he does not know is hundreds of kilometers away.

The Whirlpool, originally published in Toronto by McClelland and Stewart in 1986, is Canadian author Jane Urquhart's first novel. It was subsequently published in the United Kingdom by Simon and Schuster, in the US by David R. Godine, and in translation in France by Maurice Nadeau. It was the first Canadian novel to be awarded France's Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger in 1992, and was afterward published in several other European countries.

Woman in Bronze is a novel by Canadian-Lithuanian Antanas Sileika. It was first published in 2004 by Random House Canada.