Who we are can change depending on where we are and who surrounds us. These Literary Fiction books explore identity, belonging, relationships, culture, and the tension between how characters see themselves and how others see them. Each offers a different perspective on finding—or questioning—a sense of place. Explore these picks when you enjoy fiction that examines what shapes a person.
Moonlight Over Still Water
by Kinan Kotrash
Release Date: June 7, 2026
For The Hidden Places Inside You An Invitation To Reflect On What Is Real.
Buy on Amazon
Joseph of Africa and America
by Kwadwo Abrokwa
Release Date: August 14, 2026
This novel is an inspiring autobiographical fictional story about a boy who grew up poor on a cocoa farm in Africa and moved to America in search of greener pastures. "Joseph of Africa and America" explores the challenges he faces as he tries to assimilate into life in America and the dilemma faced by immigrants in the diaspora: whether to return home or stay abroad forever.
Buy on Amazon
The Good Earth
by Pearl S. Buck
Release Date: September 14, 2026
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck is a powerful story of family, survival, ambition, and the deep connection between people and the land. Set in rural China, the novel follows Wang Lung as he builds a life through hard work, determination, and his relationship with the earth.
Buy on Amazon
The Jilted Bride and the Marquess: A Regency Romance of a Runaway Wedding, Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, and an Unexpected Marriage (Hearts Against Convention)
by Madeline Prescott
Release Date: August 25, 2026
When Lady Cecily Ainsworth overhears the truth about her groom's mistress minutes before her vows, she does the only thing she can think of: she runs. Straight into the carriage of Frederick Cavendish, Marquess of Redclyffe, the one man in London she's spent two years despising.
Buy on Amazon
Mary Barton
by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
Release Date: July 16, 2026
Mary Barton by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell is a landmark of Victorian literature that offers a powerful and deeply moving portrayal of life during England's Industrial Revolution. Set in nineteenth-century Manchester, the novel follows the emotional journey of Mary Barton as she navigates love, loss, famil
Buy on Amazon
Dreams of Earth and Sky
by Shirley Perez West
Release Date: September 1, 2026
It’s time for twenty-year-old Mariana Ávila, the strong-willed daughter of a wealthy ranchero, to accept tradition and marry. Though Ramón, her childhood sweetheart, is her best prospect, Mariana bristles against convention and aims to follow her own path.
Buy on Amazon