The Pillars of the Earth is a good one. All of Ken Follett’s works are worth reading!
shapesize on
Killer Angels by Michael Shara. Technically a relatively true telling of the battle of Gettysburg, but in a narrative fashion. Portions of it will make you emotional.
666SASQUATCH on
The Terror by Dan Simmons
Able_Memory_1689 on
They Went Left was one of my favs. Fairly boring story, but it feels so real and you don’t expect the twists.
jbrunj on
Kindred by Octavia E Butler
securelab_sfu on
I’m not sure if it the ending will make you cry, but The Girl They Left Behind by Roxanne Veletzos was really good. It’s basically a WWII historical fiction of life in Romania behind the Iron Curtain.
I’m not much of a romance fan either but the romance elements in this book wasn’t too central.
Murphydog42 on
Sunne in Splendor -Susan Penman
Books_Of_Jeremiah on
The Agony and the Esctasy, all about Michelangelo, based on his correspondence.
YoMommaSez on
Hawaii – James Michener. He also wrote Centennial and Shogun.
Witch-for-hire on
What makes you cry? Would you like to have a sad/ bittersweet ending, or rather a lot of struggle / adversity in the plot?
**Code Name Verity** by Elizabeth Wein
– At its heart, Code Name Verity is the story of two young British women, Maddie and Queenie (or Julie), who undertake a secret mission behind enemy lines in Occupied France in 1943. >!The novel begins as a confession being written by Queenie while being held as a prisoner of the Gestapo.!<
– it is labelled as YA, but it truly feels adult (themes, prose etc.)
**Hamnet** by Maggie O’Farrell
– from the POW of Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes. An emotionally-charged novel about grief and healing after the >!death of a child!<.
**Company of Liars** – Karen Maitland
– The year is 1348. The Black Plague grips the country. In a world ruled by faith and fear, nine desperate strangers, brought together by chance, attempt to outrun the certain death that is running inexorably toward them.
These probably won’t make you cry, but they are very good:
Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
BetPrestigious5704 on
The Reformatory, Tananarive Due. It’s set in the 50s and horror, and the location is fictional, but it’s heavily based on the Dozier School for Boys, where the author’s uncle — I think — was sent for a while. Tons of real actual history and cameos by historical figures.
Another book with a similar focus is Nickel Boys, by Colson Whitehead.
If you want to explore the non-fiction version, We Carry Their Bones, by Erin Kimmerle. I haven’t read it because I lent my copy to a friend’s son for a book report. After several reminders, I’ve accepted I will never see it again. But I’m not bitter. Much.
11 Comments
The Pillars of the Earth is a good one. All of Ken Follett’s works are worth reading!
Killer Angels by Michael Shara. Technically a relatively true telling of the battle of Gettysburg, but in a narrative fashion. Portions of it will make you emotional.
The Terror by Dan Simmons
They Went Left was one of my favs. Fairly boring story, but it feels so real and you don’t expect the twists.
Kindred by Octavia E Butler
I’m not sure if it the ending will make you cry, but The Girl They Left Behind by Roxanne Veletzos was really good. It’s basically a WWII historical fiction of life in Romania behind the Iron Curtain.
I’m not much of a romance fan either but the romance elements in this book wasn’t too central.
Sunne in Splendor -Susan Penman
The Agony and the Esctasy, all about Michelangelo, based on his correspondence.
Hawaii – James Michener. He also wrote Centennial and Shogun.
What makes you cry? Would you like to have a sad/ bittersweet ending, or rather a lot of struggle / adversity in the plot?
**Code Name Verity** by Elizabeth Wein
– At its heart, Code Name Verity is the story of two young British women, Maddie and Queenie (or Julie), who undertake a secret mission behind enemy lines in Occupied France in 1943. >!The novel begins as a confession being written by Queenie while being held as a prisoner of the Gestapo.!<
– it is labelled as YA, but it truly feels adult (themes, prose etc.)
**Hamnet** by Maggie O’Farrell
– from the POW of Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes. An emotionally-charged novel about grief and healing after the >!death of a child!<.
**Company of Liars** – Karen Maitland
– The year is 1348. The Black Plague grips the country. In a world ruled by faith and fear, nine desperate strangers, brought together by chance, attempt to outrun the certain death that is running inexorably toward them.
These probably won’t make you cry, but they are very good:
Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
The Reformatory, Tananarive Due. It’s set in the 50s and horror, and the location is fictional, but it’s heavily based on the Dozier School for Boys, where the author’s uncle — I think — was sent for a while. Tons of real actual history and cameos by historical figures.
Another book with a similar focus is Nickel Boys, by Colson Whitehead.
If you want to explore the non-fiction version, We Carry Their Bones, by Erin Kimmerle. I haven’t read it because I lent my copy to a friend’s son for a book report. After several reminders, I’ve accepted I will never see it again. But I’m not bitter. Much.