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Quick answer: If you loved Under the Tulip Tree, read The Giver of Stars, The Invention of Wings, The Kitchen House and The Personal Librarian. All are historical novels about brave women, hidden stories and America's past.
Michelle Shocklee's novel follows a young woman in the Great Depression who interviews former slaves for the Federal Writers' Project and uncovers a family secret. The books below share that mix of American history, women's courage and discovery. Most are adult historical fiction, and all are real, in-print books.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Kitchen House | Kathleen Grissom | Adult | plantation stories |
| The Invention of Wings | Sue Monk Kidd | Adult | history with heart |
| The Help | Kathryn Stockett | Adult | book club favorite |
| The Giver of Stars | Jojo Moyes | Adult | Depression-era women |
| Orphan Train | Christina Baker Kline | Adult | dual timelines |
| Before We Were Yours | Lisa Wingate | Adult | family secrets |
| The Personal Librarian | Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray | Adult | real historical figures |
| Homegoing | Yaa Gyasi | Adult | multigenerational history |
| The Water Dancer | Ta-Nehisi Coates | Adult | literary fantasy |
| The Nickel Boys | Colson Whitehead | Adult | hard truths |
| The Underground Railroad | Colson Whitehead | Adult | alternate history |
| The Secret Life of Bees | Sue Monk Kidd | Adult | gentle healing |
| Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet | Jamie Ford | Adult | forgotten history |
| The Light Between Oceans | M.L. Stedman | Adult | moral questions |
| Lilac Girls | Martha Hall Kelly | Adult | true-story inspired |
1. The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
An orphaned Irish girl is raised by enslaved people on a Virginia plantation. Powerful, sad and hard to forget.
Best for: plantation stories.
2. The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
A wealthy girl and an enslaved girl in Charleston grow up together. Based on the real abolitionist Sarah Grimké.
Best for: history with heart.
3. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Black maids in 1960s Mississippi share their stories with a young white writer. Popular and debated.
Best for: book club favorite.
4. The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
Women deliver books on horseback in 1930s Kentucky. Warm, brave and full of friendship.
Best for: Depression-era women.
5. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
A foster teen helps an elderly woman sort her attic and learns of the orphan trains. Gentle and moving.
Best for: dual timelines.
6. Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
A girl taken from her family in 1939 and a modern woman uncover a shared secret. Emotional and well-researched.
Best for: family secrets.
7. The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
The story of Belle da Costa Greene, J.P. Morgan's librarian, who hid her heritage. Smart and engaging.
Best for: real historical figures.
8. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Two half-sisters in Ghana and their descendants across 300 years. Epic and affecting.
Best for: multigenerational history.
9. The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
A man with a magical gift of memory escapes slavery. Lyrical and strange.
Best for: literary fantasy.
10. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Two Black teens are sent to a brutal reform school in Jim Crow Florida. Spare and devastating.
Best for: hard truths.
11. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
Cora escapes slavery on a literal railroad. Vivid and powerful.
Best for: alternate history.
12. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
A girl in 1964 South Carolina finds a home among beekeepers. Warm and wise.
Best for: gentle healing.
13. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
A Chinese American man recalls his boyhood friendship with a Japanese American girl in wartime Seattle. Tender and historical.
Best for: forgotten history.
14. The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
A lighthouse keeper and his wife raise a baby found in a boat. A moral dilemma with beautiful settings.
Best for: moral questions.
15. Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
Three women are tied together by a Nazi camp for women. Heavy, researched and gripping.
Best for: true-story inspired.
How to Choose
For other stories about the Depression, start with The Giver of Stars. For slavery and its legacy, The Kitchen House or The Invention of Wings. For modern timelines, Orphan Train or Before We Were Yours. For literary depth, Homegoing and The Nickel Boys. Many of these books contain violence and injustice, so read with care. Historical novels like these often include an author's note that explains what is real. Read those notes, as they will lead you to nonfiction and archives you can explore next. Many state archives and the Library of Congress have the WPA interviews online for free.
Related: Printable List Of Magic Tree House Books In Order · 20 Best Short Books Under 100 Pages
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Under the Tulip Tree about?
A young woman working for the WPA in the 1930s interviews a former slave and discovers a link to her own family.
What was the Federal Writers' Project?
It was a New Deal program that employed writers, including those who recorded interviews with formerly enslaved people.
Who wrote it?
Michelle Shocklee, an American historical novelist.
Is it a quick read?
It is short and readable, though the subject is serious.
Is the novel based on real history?
Yes. The WPA slave narrative project was real, and the book is inspired by those interviews.
Where can I read the real WPA slave narratives?
The Library of Congress has digitized thousands of them under the title Born in Slavery.
Is this book for teens?
It suits older teens and adults, with mature themes of slavery and loss.
Is this list in order of quality?
No. The books are listed by similarity and variety, so start with the one that sounds best to you, and use the Best for lines to pick quickly.