Have you read any of these Irish Historical Fiction Books?

1916 by Morgan Llewelyn is the first book in a YA series about the Irish fight for independence. The series begins in 1916 and continues all the way through 1999 giving you an amazing span of Irish history. I’ve devoured them all and I attribute this series as the trigger for my obsession with the historical fiction genre.

1916 starts off with the sinking of the Titanic. The main character, Ned Halloran, loses both his parents and nearly his own life that day. Unsure what to do next, he returns to Ireland and enrolls at St. Edna’s School in Dublin. There he develops a close relationship with St. Edna’s headmaster, Patrick Pearse, who is soon to gain great fame as a rebel and activist. Ned gets swept up in the fight as well and through his eyes we witness the Irish fight for freedom.

Morgan Llewelyn is an incredible writer and has written about many aspects of Irish history ranging from stories about the early kings of Ireland in the 10th century to the life story of the Irish Saint Brendan. If you want a master Irish historical fiction author, you need to read Morgan Llewelyn.

Jean Grainger

Jean Grainger is a legend in the historical fiction world. Not only is she a many times over USA Bestselling Author, she also holds tight in Bookbub reader polls, landing consistently in the Top 20 Historical Fiction Authors.

Grainger is a “character” author. Her characters jump off the page like old friends. Her writing style is described as warm, wise and comforting, much like the Irish country life she writes about. I would describe it as similar to Maeve Binchy.

She is a prolific writer, with over fifty historical fiction titles to her name. Her writing also spans a range of Irish history, but she tends to lean towards 1900s and later.

Her beautiful stories showcase the Irish viewpoint of pivotal points in history like experiencing WWII with the Irish countryside offering refuge to Jewish children escaping imprisonment to experiencing the devastating loss of the Titanic after it set off from its final stop at Queenstown, County Cork. She is also an expert at showcasing the societal changes and political unrest affecting the Irish people during these times.If you want to learn more about Irish history, Jean Grainger really is a must read.