History Girl Summer: Three Sunny Pieces of Historical Fiction

As a history student, there’s only one way to take a break from my degree over summer… reading historical fiction! If you’re craving a sunny getaway or wanting an accompaniment to your travels, these books will not just take you to a sunnier climate but also to a different period in time.

1. Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman 

‘Call Me By Your Name’ is probably the definition of a ‘summer’ novel. If you’ve not seen the film, the story recalls the summer of 1983. Elio lives with his academic father in Northern Italy. An academic comes to join them for the summer, and feelings between the pair blossom. I went into the novel with slight reservations due to its huge reputation, but my expectations were more than exceeded. I read it in 24 hours on holiday, and it’s one of those books that I think about all the time. If you have seen the film, I would still recommend giving it a read as I really enjoyed Aciman’s prose as well as the story itself.

2. The Safekeep by Yael van de Woulden

Set in the oppressive heat of a dutch summer, this Women’s Prize for Fiction winning novel explores identity in Post-War Europe. Recluse Isa is forced to host her brother’s erratic girlfriend Eva. The themes of loss and rebuilding are a perfect accompaniment to the oppressive heat van de Woulden describes. It’s a book which successfully puts you in the shoes of its two protagonists. You feel sympathy for Eva and Isa both during their conflict and their reconciliation. I devoured the intimate and compulsive prose of this short novel. You’ll read ‘The Safekeep’ quickly, but it’s one of those books that will stay with you all summer long.

3.  An Honest Man by Ben Fergusson 

Most books set in Cold War era Germany focus on the East, so Fergusson’s novel is a refreshing chance to see the perspective of a West German teenager. Set in the summer of 1989, the novel focuses on the coming of age experience of Ralf as he explores his sexuality and ponders his future. One of the standouts of the novel for me was getting to read the perspective of a West German citizen unaware of the huge political upheaval that is going to follow in October. This rare moment in time is so viscerally evocative, and helped me learn a lot about the experience of being young in West Germany.

Written by, Eleanor Patamia