Seventeenth-century England: a recommended reading list

It’s been heartening to see so many people share my interest in 17th-century English settings. A number of recommendations of other titles have been arriving in the comments to my last post and via comments to my Facebook post at the Historical Novel Society public group and elsewhere.

So I thought I’d collate them in a separate post, with credit to everyone involved, along with some additional recommendations of my own.  Thanks to all who offered suggestions, and please let me know if I've missed anything.

The Graham Saga by Anna Belfrage, about “the unrest/ religious persecution that came in the wake of the Restoration through the eyes of a Lowland Scot and his time travelling wife” – via the author. [see on Goodreads]

Pamela Belle’s Wintercombe and its three sequels (Herald of Joy, A Falling Star, Treason’s Gift) – via Mike Shoop. I also highly recommend these sagas about a Somerset family during the English Civil War and after. All were recently reissued via Endeavour Press. [see on Goodreads]

Pamela Belle’s The Herons of Goldhayes trilogy – via me and author Anna Belfrage. These wonderful novels first introduced me to the richness of the 17th century… I read them in high school! [see on Goodreads]

Molly Brown, Invitation to a Funeral – a rollicking historical mystery featuring Aphra Behn – via me. [see on Goodreads]

The Rebel Puritan series by Jo Ann Butler, about Herodias Long, who winds up in Newport, Rhode Island, but whose story begins in England – via the author (and me - I reviewed the first book in 2011). [see on Goodreads]

Susanna Calkins’ early Restoration mysteries – via both Suzanne McGee and Nancy Bilyeau. [see on Goodreads]

The King’s General by Daphne du Maurier, “set in Cornwall during the English Civil War” – via Ingibjörg Ágústsdóttir. [see on Goodreads]

Elizabeth Fremantle’s Stuart-era novels – via Nancy Bilyeau. [see on Goodreads]

Elizabeth Goudge, The Child from the Sea – via me. A biographical novel of Charles II’s first mistress, Lucy Walter. [see on Goodreads]

Robert Graves’ Wife to Mr. Milton – via Brian Wainwright. [see on Goodreads]

J.G. Harlond’s Chosen Man trilogy – via the author. [see on Goodreads]

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles’ Morland saga, some of which includes the 17th century – via Sally Archer. [see on Goodreads]

Steel and Lace edited by Francine Howarth, an anthology of 17th- and 18th-century stories – via MJ Logue. [see on Goodreads]

Marci Jefferson, The Girl on the Golden Coin, about Frances Stuart – via me; I reviewed it back in 2014. [see on Goodreads]

Novels by MJ Logue, who “has given voice to an absolutely wonderful cast of Parliamentarian soldiers led by Colonel Hollie Babbitt & this rag-tag band's adventures and misfortunes during the various battles of the Civil War” – via Anna Belfrage. [see on Goodreads]

Olga Morrill’s The Vagabond Quakers (New England, not England) – via Jo Ann Butler. [see on Goodreads]

Annette Motley’s The Quickenberry Tree, an older novel “about the Herons of Heronscourt and how they met the English Civil War” – via Mike Shoop. [see on Goodreads]

Conceit by Mary Novik, about Pegge, daughter of John Donne – via me. [see my review from 2010; see it on Goodreads]

Pillars of Avalon by Katherine Pym, about the settling of Newfoundland by the notorious David Kirke – via Diane Parkinson. Per the author, her novels are written using period language. [see on Goodreads]

Stella Riley’s six novels set in 17th-century England, including A Splendid Defiance – via the author. Her earlier novels are classic romantic epics that were recently reissued. [see on Goodreads]

Christy K. Robinson’s two biographical novels “that began in 1629 England with the Great Migration and ended with the hanging of Mary Barrett Dyer in 1660 New England” – via the author. [see on Goodreads]

The French Mistress, The Countess and the King, and other novels by Susan Holloway Scott – via me. Read my interview with the author.  [see on Goodreads]

The Blackthorn Key series by Kevin Sands – via reader Canadian Lyn. This is a middle-grade historical fantasy/adventure series “about an apothecary's apprentice. It is a combination of the best of Harry Potter and The Da Vinci Code.” [see on Goodreads]

Mary Sharratt, Daughters of the Witching Hill, about the women accused during the Pendle witchcraft trials; read my interview with the author, from 2010. [see on Goodreads]

Love and Gravity by Samantha Sotto, a time-slip involving Isaac Newton – via me. [see on Goodreads]

The Guardians of the Crown series by Alison Stuart, which “spans the interregnum and three other stand alone stories from earlier” – via Anna Belfrage and the author. The author also linked to a paper she presented at the HNS Australasia Conference that included a bibliography of English Civil War novels over the last decade. [see on Goodreads]

Deborah Swift’s 17th century novels – via Nancy Bilyeau. The author had written a guest post for this site in 2014 about venturing into teen historical fiction. [see on Goodreads]

Andrew Taylor’s The Ashes of London, “a gripping mystery about the Great Fire of 1666” – via Larry Zuckerman. [see on Goodreads]  Look for the sequel, The Fire Court, out from HarperCollins UK in April 2018.

The novels of Sam Thomas (Midwife Mysteries) – via Nancy Bilyeau. [see on Goodreads]

Rose Tremain, Restoration and Merivel – via me (I reviewed Merivel when it came out). [see on Goodreads]

See also a list I found on Goodreads, “England’s Second Civil War and Restoration."

Best wishes to everyone for a happy 2018 and a good upcoming year of reading! I'll be back with more reviews in January.