Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Bookish Wisdom earns from qualifying purchases. This doesn't change our picks or your price.
Quick answer: If you loved Poldark, read Diana Gabaldon's Outlander, then Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth, then Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, and Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South, Wives and Daughters and Cranford and John Galsworthy's The Forsyte Saga. All are sweeping historical sagas.
Winston Graham's Poldark novels follow a Cornish soldier who returns from the American war to find his life changed. These picks share the sweep and romance.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outlander | Diana Gabaldon | Adult | historical romance |
| The Pillars of the Earth | Ken Follett | Adult | readers who like epics |
| Rebecca | Daphne du Maurier | Adult | readers who want the classic |
| North and South | Elizabeth Gaskell | Adult | class and romance |
| Wives and Daughters | Elizabeth Gaskell | Adult | gentle Victorian |
| The Forsyte Saga | John Galsworthy | Adult | family chronicle |
| Cranford | Elizabeth Gaskell | Adult | classic small-town fiction |
| The Other Boleyn Girl | Philippa Gregory | Adult | Tudor intrigue |
| The White Queen | Philippa Gregory | Adult | readers who like historical fiction |
| Wolf Hall | Hilary Mantel | Adult | readers who like court intrigue |
| Cold Mountain | Charles Frazier | Adult | literary historical fiction |
| Shōgun | James Clavell | Adult | readers who like long sagas |
| A Woman of Substance | Barbara Taylor Bradford | Adult | rise of a tycoon |
| The Thorn Birds | Colleen McCullough | Adult | classic sagas |
| The Fifteen Streets | Catherine Cookson | Adult | northern saga |
1. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
A nurse in 1945 falls through stones into 1743 Scotland. Romance, history and adventure.
Best for: historical romance.
2. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
A master builder, a monk and a noble family struggle over a cathedral in 12th-century England. Long, gripping and emotional.
Best for: readers who like epics.
3. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
A young bride arrives at Manderley and lives in the shadow of the first Mrs. de Winter. A masterpiece of gothic suspense.
Best for: readers who want the classic.
4. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
A southern woman moves to an industrial northern town and meets a mill owner. Romantic and sharp.
Best for: class and romance.
5. Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
A girl adjusts to a new stepmother and stepsister in a country town. Warm and observant.
Best for: gentle Victorian.
6. The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy
A wealthy English family over generations. A classic of the saga form.
Best for: family chronicle.
7. Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
Gentle sketches of a small Victorian town run by women. A classic of village life.
Best for: classic small-town fiction.
8. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
Mary Boleyn tells her story at the court of Henry VIII. Dramatic and juicy.
Best for: Tudor intrigue.
9. The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
Elizabeth Woodville rises from a commoner to Queen of England during the Wars of the Roses. Historical romance with politics.
Best for: readers who like historical fiction.
10. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Thomas Cromwell rises in Henry VIII's court in this award-winning novel. Sharp, intimate and full of political danger.
Best for: readers who like court intrigue.
11. Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
A wounded Confederate soldier walks home to his love. Slow, lyrical and rooted in landscape.
Best for: literary historical fiction.
12. Shōgun by James Clavell
An English pilot arrives in feudal Japan and gets caught in a power struggle among warlords. Epic in scale and detail.
Best for: readers who like long sagas.
13. A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford
Emma Harte rises from servant girl to business tycoon. A long and satisfying saga.
Best for: rise of a tycoon.
14. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
An epic family saga set in the Australian outback. Long, romantic and dramatic.
Best for: classic sagas.
15. The Fifteen Streets by Catherine Cookson
A family in a northern English slum faces hardship and love. Warm and gritty.
Best for: northern saga.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Poldark: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Poldark. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For historical sagas, read Outlander or The Pillars of the Earth. For Cornish gothic, try Rebecca. For classics, pick North and South or Wives and Daughters.
Related: 15 Books Like Wings of Fire Kids Will Love: Dragons, Quests and Animal Adventures · 12 Dystopian Books Like the Hunger Games | Best Books to Read Like Hunger Games
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Poldark?
Winston Graham.
Is there a TV series?
Yes, a BBC adaptation.
How many books?
Twelve novels.
Which book here is best for northern saga?
Try The Fifteen Streets by Catherine Cookson, which suits readers looking for northern saga.
Which book here is best for classic sagas?
Try The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough, which suits readers looking for classic sagas.
Which book here is best for rise of a tycoon?
Try A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford, which suits readers looking for rise of a tycoon.
Which book here is best for readers who like long sagas?
Try Shōgun by James Clavell, which suits readers looking for readers who like long sagas.
Which book here is best for literary historical fiction?
Try Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier, which suits readers looking for literary historical fiction.