Pack a Beachy Book: Historical Fiction Beach Reads

Beach reads as a concept means a lot of different things to different people. You can see that pretty clearly in Book Riot’s list of the Best Beach Reads of All Time, with picks ranging from thrillers to historical epics. My favorite tongue-in-cheek definition for a beach read is exactly as it’s described: a book set at the beach. In all seriousness, though, books set at the beach make for a great getaway, whether you’re enjoying a seaside vacation or just trying to escape the heat and get a break on a busy summer day.

These six historical fiction beach reads set by the sea will sweep you away to coastal California, the Florida Keys, an island in Korea, and an isolated Uruguayan cape. Make no mistake: just because the books are set on the beach doesn’t mean they’re light reads. These beachy historical fiction books are thrillers, multi-generational sagas, and explorations of the triumph of the human spirit. If you’re in the mood for a beach read set on the beach that doesn’t hold back, any one of these six historical fiction books should do nicely.

Untamed Shore by Silvia Moreno-Garcia In this noir-inspired thriller from the author of Mexican Gothic, a young woman in 1970s Baja California jumps at the chance to work as an assistant for an American writer who comes to Mexico with his wife and brother-in-law. Viridiana has long dreamed of romance and escaping her dull, seaside town. The glamorous foreigners offer her a chance for some excitement, but when one of them dies and Viridiana lies to protect her new friends, she soon begins to realize there may be dark secrets hiding under the shiny veneer of her new life.

Hula by Jasmin Iolani Hakes Hi’i, the youngest daughter in the legendary Naupaka family, knows her family’s role as the pride of Hilo well. Her grandmother was the Hula matriarch of the island, and now Hi’i hopes that becoming the next Miss Aloha Hula will help heal the rift between her mother and grandmother and bring her closer to the community she’s always felt removed from. But when the truth about what happened with Hi’i’s mother comes to light, the entire community is faced with questions about what the future holds—for Hi’i most of all.

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