Explore the Lives of Incredible Women in April’s New Historical Fiction

There’s something about these new releases, and it’s not just that they all come out in April and deserve a spot on your TBR. If you glance down at the covers, you’ll notice that almost all of them feature women staring off into the distance. That wasn’t intentional—not by me or the publishers either, for that matter—but it’s certainly a trend. Since March was Women’s History Month in the U.S., it feels somewhat appropriate — if a little belated — to keep the emphasis on stories of women throughout history, and that’s exactly what these new releases do.

So let’s take a little more time this month to focus on the stories of women who defy expectations and social norms, who blaze trails, make mistakes, and live down both fame and infamy. Real and imagined, that’s exactly what the women of these new April historical fiction novels do. Maybe take a page from their book.

Honey in the Wound by Jiyoung Han Release date: April 7, 2026 Young-Ja’s gift for imbuing food with emotions brings joy to everyone she meets. But when her family faces violent consequences for their defiance against the Japanese Empire in Korea, her joy turns to grief. Joining a resistance movement in Manchuria, where she can put her gift to use once again helps, but it’s not until her young, Tokyo-born granddaughter begins exhibiting magical abilities of her own that she truly begins to confront the pain of her past and enjoy life again.

Elizabeth and Marilyn by Julie Owen Moylan Release date: April 7, 2026 Inspired by the summer 1950s film icon Marilyn Monroe and Queen Elizabeth II lived as neighbors in Windsor, author Julie Owen Moylan imagines a possible garden encounter between the two women, who were the exact same age and knew what it was to live life in the harsh public spotlight. It’s a what-if that plumbs the depths of what it took for these two women to succeed in very male-dominated fields.

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