Now that we’re a quarter of the way into the 21st century—that’s still hard to believe—it can be interesting to ponder our various perspectives on the previous century.
 
One way to go about that, if you’re a bookworm, is to seek out stories and novels set in a particular decade of the 20th century. That’s the idea behind today’s collection, in which Goodreads’ ace editorial staff wades into the stacks to assemble a century of historical fiction, sorted by decade.
 
The books below span a wide range of genres—some even live in between genres—and are sequenced chronologically by decade, according to when the initial or the main action of the story takes place.
 
That’s the when. As to where, you’ll find lots of potential destinations: an Irish hospital circa 1918. A downtown apartment in 1950s Tehran. A one-room cabin in 1973 Alabama. You’ll find a procession of accomplished authors here, too, including Isabel Allende, Hernan Diaz, Jonathan Franzen, Kristin Hannah, Han Kang, James McBride, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Olga Tokarczuk, Amor Towles, and Colson Whitehead.
 
These selections are, of course, just a sliver of the available books set in the various decades of the 20th century. But it’s a fun way to look back again via historical fiction. If you see any interesting leads for future reading, click the Want to Read button to add a book to your aspirational shelf.

Want to Read saving… Want to Read Currently Reading Read

Want to Read saving…

Want to Read saving…