Historical Fiction that Adds a Little Magic to the Past
Magical realism and historical fiction are a match made in bookish heaven. Both of these beloved genres tend to draw on real-life inspiration but add fictional characters, plot devices, and atmospheric settings to offer the reader an escape from reality. So when I pick up a book set in the past that adds fantastical elements to the story, I know I’m in for a treat. Check out these eight novels that combine historical fiction with magical realism and fabulism to create something truly special.
As we’ve discussed on Book Riot before, magical realism is a literary movement led by Latin American writers that infuses elements of magic and folklore into reality, often as a means of political rebellion. This list includes many magical realism historical fiction books by Latine authors, but I’ve also added a few other books that fall under the larger umbrella of fabulism. Each of these books draws on some kind of fable or mythology to add a magical spark to the story, be it ghosts, ancient curses, healing powers, clairvoyance, or something else. These novels are set across many time periods and locations, from 1908 Manchuria to 1968 Costa Rica and many places in between. Let’s dive in.
The Volcano Daughters by Gina María Balibrera
Graciela was only nine years old when El Gran Pendejo, the volatile dictator of El Salvador in 1923, decided she was meant to be his personal fortune teller. Whisked away from her home among Indigenous coffee bean farmers on a volcano, Graciela is held captive in the Capital, where she soon realizes she has a sister who suffered the same fate, Consuelo. As El Gran Pendejo begins a brutal genocide against Graciela and Consuelo’s people, they manage to escape, separated on their journeys across the globe in search of a place to call home. Narrated by the spirit of those they lost and who follow them on their travels, this is a moving tale of magical realism inspired by the real history of El Salvador.
The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzalez James
Antonio comes from generations of tough and dangerous men, so when a drought threatens his wife and children with starvation in 1895 Dorado, Mexico, he carries on his family’s legacy by robbing a train full of gold in Houston, Texas. But the robbery goes awry, and Antonio’s younger brother Hugo is killed. Antonio sets off on an epic quest for revenge, one that casts a shadow over his descendants for generations to come. Flash forward to 1964, when Jaime Sonoro is one of Mexico’s most famous performers. When Jaime learns of his family’s long history of violence, a mystical figure gives him a chance to break the cycle by learning the truth of his bandido grandfather’s story.
The Monstrous Misses Mai by Van Hoang
Cordelia dreams of becoming a famous fashion designer, but 1959 Los Angeles is less than kind to her as the child of Vietnamese immigrants. Desperate for an affordable place to live, Cordelia meets a mysterious stranger who leads her to an opening in an apartment with three roommates, all of whom share Cordelia’s middle name, Mai. It must be a sign that she’s found the right place. Then, the stranger offers Cordelia and her roommates a little spell to help them find jobs in exchange for a small sacrifice. It sounds reasonable, and it works! But as their wishes get bigger, so do their spells and their sacrifices, and getting what they want might lead them to lose everything.
Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
Luz is distraught when her brother Diego is forced out of their home in 1930s Denver by a dangerous white mob. Feeling separated from her roots, Luz struggles to make a living by doing laundry and reading tea leaves. Then, she starts having strange visions of the past through the eyes of her Indigenous Chicano ancestors on Colorado’s Lost Territory. Witnessing the joys and pain of the generations before her, Luz realizes it’s her destiny to make sure her family legacy isn’t forgotten. It’s an atmospheric western full of magical realism and unforgettable characters.
Where There Was Fire by John Manuel Arias
A devastating fire broke out on a Costa Rican banana plantation in 1968, causing death and the destruction of the evidence of crimes committed on the plantation. Decades later, the Valverde family is still haunted by the ghosts of that night. Through multiple narrative perspectives of women within the family and shifting timelines, we begin to understand the truth of what happened and its long-reaching effects. Where There Was Fire is a lyrical, moving, layered portrait of multiple generations of a family scarred by corporate greed, colonization, and violence.
Conjure Women by Afia Atakora
Rue came of age in the South around the time of the American Civil War, learning the crafts of healing, midwifery, and conjuring from her mother, Miss May Belle. They’re both freed from their enslavers following the end of the war, but their freedom doesn’t come easy. When a baby boy seems to spread illness in their town, Rue and Miss May Belle are suspected of practicing dark magic. But in truth, it’s the dark secrets hiding beneath the surface of their town that threaten to wreak havoc. With magic elements of healing, hoodoo, and haints, it’s a vividly fantastical tale starring dynamic women characters.
The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo
In 1908 Manchuria, suspicious deaths are widely attributed to mythological fox spirits who disguise themselves as beautiful women and men to lure their victims. Bao, an aging detective long fascinated by fox spirits and with a special talent for uncovering the truth, is tasked with investigating the strange death of a courtesan. Snow, a mysterious woman on the hunt for revenge after the loss of her child, captures Bao’s interest. As Snow travels across China and Japan in search of a murderer, Bao follows close on her heels in search of different answers. It’s a magical, sprawling tale of love and loss inspired by Chinese folklore.
The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende
What list of magical realism historical fiction would be complete without the legendary Isabel Allende? This sweeping epic involves three different protagonists orphaned by political violence who seek a different kind of family together. Samuel lost his parents to the Nazis in 1940s Austria. Leticia suffered great loss during a revolution in 1980s El Salvador. Seven-year-old Anita recently found herself separated from her loved ones at the U.S.-Mexico border. Anita, who is blind but has a gift of seeing much more than others, is placed temporarily with Samuel and Leticia, who work in his home. The three find a meaningful connection that gives them all hope for a better future. Weaving together multiple historical narratives with contemporary lives and touches of magic, Allende tells a powerful story of multiple generations healing from trauma.
We hope fabulist and magical realism historical fiction books helped you find some fantastical new reads. You might also enjoy:
New Magical Realism Books to Read Right Now