87 New Historical Fiction Books Hitting Shelves This Year

"Learned by Heart" by Emma Donoghue takes its inspiration from the journals of Anne Lister, known today as a famed diarist and a lesbian icon. As a teenager, Anne, a troublesome tomboy, is sent to a boarding school for girls in York. There, she meets Emma, an orphaned heiress sent to England from her childhood home in India who seems to be a little different — just like Anne. The friendship between the girls blossoms, turning into young romance, but the demands placed on them as women of their time threaten to destroy the beautiful and fragile bond they have formed.

Release date: Aug. 29