The Middle East as a geopolitical region is generally defined as the countries of the Arabian Peninsula, as well as the countries of North Africa and parts of West Asia. As the focal point of convergence of Africa, Asia, and Europe and the cradle of some of the earliest recorded civilizations, the region has a long history on which writers of historical fiction can draw. From the first humans to settle in the Middle East to the origins of the Abrahamic religions, colonial mandates and modern political, social and religious divisions, the region offers readers a myriad of books and authors to enjoy.
In the list below, you will find stories ranging from ancient Egypt to the early 2010s. Learn about the impact of the Iranian Revolution through the eyes of an arrested man and his family, trace the journey of a twelfth-century cartographer, and see the bombing of Jaffa through the eyes of a young man. See the bazaars and rug weavers of seventeenth-century Persia, get a new perspective on Cleopatra, and trace the history of Israel from World War I to the 1970s through a family saga novel. Whichever book you choose, you will enjoy a captivating story and a journey into the past.
mother of strangers By Suad Amiri
Set in Jaffa from 1947 to 1951, the novel follows 15-year-old Subhi and 13-year-old Shams, the girl Subhi hopes to marry one day. When the book opens, Jaffa is a bustling, port city, known for its orange groves and beaches along the Mediterranean Sea, but the 1947 UN Partition Plan for Palestine divided the city, and soon Jaffa was hollowed out by bombs and families displaced. Through Subhi’s eyes, we see the loss of her and Shams’ families and their struggle to survive and establish a new sense of home in a city that now looks unfamiliar to its residents.
September of Shiraz by Dalia Sofer
Set during and after the Iranian Revolution, the book begins when rare gem dealer Isaac Amin is arrested on suspicion of being a spy. As Isaac escapes the terror of prison, his family must try to put their lives together while desperately trying to find him and navigating a society where they are no longer able to trust the people around them. Through one family’s story, readers look at the history of the Iranian Revolution and its long-term effects within Iran and within the Iranian diaspora.
esau by Meir Shalev
Beginning of World War I under the British Mandate in Palestine, esau Following the Levy family through the generations and into the mid-1970s. Starting with parents Abraham and Sarah, the family’s story is told by Esau, who left for America when his brother Jacob married Leah, whom Esau hoped would choose her. When Esau returns as Abraham is dying, he begins to tell the story of his and Jacob’s childhood, as well as the lives of his parents. esau It is a reimagining of the Biblical story of sibling rivalry and inheritance and a broader history and family story.
past tense
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map of salt and stars By Zen Joukhdar
Moving between past and recent times, map of salt and stars Ties together twelfth and twenty-first century Syria. When Nour’s father died, her mother moved her and her sisters from New York City to Syria to be closer to family. To keep her father’s memory alive, Noor recalls one of his favorite stories, the story of Rawiya, a twelfth-century girl who disguised herself as a boy to work as a map maker. But in the present, Noor’s home is under threat from shelling, and when their home is hit, her family must follow in Rawiya’s footsteps as they make their long journey.
blood of flowers By Anita Amirrezvani
In seventeenth-century Isfahan, Persia, a young woman’s future is ruined when her father dies without a dowry. Due to lack of marriage prospects, she had to live with her uncle, a rug designer for the Shah’s court, and work as a servant in his household. Told with an emotional, first-person narrative style, blood of flowers Follows her development as a talented rug maker and the choices she must make to achieve autonomy in her life.
cleopatra By Sara Al-Arifi
When reading about Egyptian history, Cleopatra’s name is often the first to come to mind, but her story is often filtered through the perspectives and observations of others. in her new novel cleopatraEl-Arifi presents a fictional account of the life of Cleopatra, focusing on the myths and lies that were developed about her by those who sought to undermine her power. Readers who have enjoyed mythological retellings focused on women will enjoy this book because of the complexity it adds to the existing story of Cleopatra.
If you’re a fan of historical fiction, there are plenty of recommendations in the Book Riot archives after reading the books above! Consider these historical fantasy books with dual timelines or these stories set in the Pacific Islands. And be sure to check out this list of the best historical fiction books of the century (so far).
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