Moss-covered oaks, haunting secrets, idyllic Southern charm…Savannah, Georgia, brims with fascinating yet complex history, making it the perfect backdrop for unforgettable historical fiction! The atmospheric areas of Forsyth Park, Bonaventure Cemetery and the city’s storied cobblestone squares create the kind of rich setting that novelists love to explore—and the kind that readers want to escape into. So if you’re looking for the best historical fiction books set in Savannah, you’re in the right place!
Here, we combed through dozens of titles and hand-picked our favorite books set in the locale lovingly referred to as ‘the hostess city of the south!’ From Civil War-era mysteries to 1980s crime sagas, Savannah’s layered past and unmistakable aesthetics make every single one of these books transporting and unforgettable. Keep scrolling for all of our must-read picks.
‘Savannah’ by Eugenia Price
Turner Publishing Company
Beloved for her richly detailed Southern historical sagas, Eugenia Price is known for bringing the history, romance and complexities of the American South to life. In her 1983 novel Savannah—the first instalment in her iconic Savannah Quartet series—a young man named Mark Browning leaves behind his wealthy upbringing and travels to Savannah in search of a new beginning. Here, he meets two very different women while uncovering long-buried family secrets tied to the city’s past.
What readers are saying: “Well- researched, saga-style historical fiction that has a touch of inspirational themes. If you are interested in the Georgia roots or even architecture this would be a great fit. Also if you are a fan of Regency style reads this tone mimics those. Looking forward to book 2 of the four of the Savannah series.”
Berkley
With more than 30,000 glowing reviews on GoodReads, bestselling author Patti Callahan Henry’s Surviving Savannah tells the story of history professor Everly Winthrop and the mystery surrounding the real-life sinking of the “Titanic of the South.” When Savannah is asked to guest-curate a new museum collection showcasing artifacts from the steamship Pulaski, she’s surprised. The infamous ship sank in 1838 and the wreckage was just discovered—180 years later. Her research reveals jaw-dropping mysteries—including the story of a family of 11 who boarded the ship together and the story of two women in the family: Augusta Longstreet, a known survivor, and her niece, Lilly Forsyth, who was never found.
These fascinating women were part of Savannah’s aristocratic society, but as the ship sinks they must make impossible choices. A moving, emotional story about what women endure in the face of the unimaginable.
What readers are saying: “Through her research, Everly begins to put together the story of two sisters- one who survived and one who didn’t. As one can imagine, it’s a powerful, emotional, and compelling story. As someone so intrigued by what happened with the Pulaski, I’m grateful Patti Callahan researched and wrote this story. The strong female characters and page-turning storyline made for a riveting read!”
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Bethany House
This mesmerizing story set in Civil War-era Savannah centers on writer Cordelia Owens. She is known in Savannah for her bright spirit and her talent for turning even the darkest news into hopeful stories. So when word comes that her sweetheart, Phineas Dunn, has been lost in a wartime raid, she refuses to believe it and comforts his family with tales of his safe return. But Phineas comes home from the war injured, cynical, and nothing like the hero Cordelia wrote about in her stories. As the realities of war and the fall of Fort Pulaski National Monument reshape their world, they both must decide whether their love can last.
What readers are saying: “Roseanna White’s books always find their way to the top of my TBR and this should be no exception. I found this book to be very different from her other books, yet still at the high standard, if not higher, that her readers expect. To me a sign of a great author is that they can shift to different historical settings or genres with ease. This stirring tale is a satisfying blend of a fast-moving plot filled with danger and a developing romance that will satisfy every romantic heart.”
Celadon Books
If you’re looking for a Savannah-set mystery that dives deep into the city’s history, The Kingdoms of Savannah is your ticket. The story’s central setting takes place in contemporary times, but it explores historical events in Savannah’s past, dating back to the Revolutionary War and the 1880s, throughout. On a seemingly ordinary hot Southern night at a local bar called Bo Peep’s, there’s a murder. Enter unlikely detective Morgana Musgrove, a prominent woman in Savannah society. As she’s called in to investigate, she begins unearthing terrifying truths—with the help of her family—and long-buried secrets that will rattle Savannah’s powerful circles to their core.
What readers are saying: “The atmosphere in this novel is so evocative that at many different points I believed that I could smell the pink azaleas, coral honeysuckles, and violet lilacs permeating the air with their lush fragrances. The historical aspects that become entwined with this plot are based on real events, and in the back of the book, Green gives the reader further information about the existence of the Kingdom and other historical data that became relevant to the plot. So even though Green chose not to venture into the muddy waters of a nonfiction novel as did Capote and Berendt, every page felt like I was being given a tour of the real Savannah, Georgia.”
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Vintage
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil may be a little outside genre lines here, but this true-crime classic reads as richly and atmospherically as historical fiction. John Berendt’s seminal Savannah-set book chronicles the real-life 1981 shooting of Danny Hansford by Jim Williams, a wealthy Savannah antiques dealer. The book explores the four murder trials that follow. Throughout, the trials interestingly showcase the unique, secretive and charmingly eccentric society of Savannah, Georgia.
What readers are saying: “What makes Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil so fascinating and memorable is that, even though it’s centered around this shooting and the legal drama that followed, it’s not really about those things at all. The shooting doesn’t even happen until the midpoint of the book. Instead, the book is about Savannah in the 1980s, and the unbelievably, wonderfully eccentric group of people there. Joe Odom, the piano playing con man affectionately known as the sentimental gentleman. Emmy Kelly, the Lady of 6000 Songs. The Married Woman’s Card Club, made up of exactly 16 women, no more no less. Defense attorney Sonny Seiler, owner of the University of Georgia’s bulldog mascots for the last 30 years. Minerva, the voodoo priestess Jim Williams hires to fix his trials. And perhaps the most famous real-life character of them all, The Lady Chablis, aka the Grand Empress of Savannah.”
Penguin Books
Fans of Steel Magnolias and The Help will delight over Saving CeeCee Honeycut. This heartwarming coming-of-age novel is set during the 1960s in Georgia. After the loss of her mother, 12-year-old CeeCee is sent to live with her eccentric great-aunt Tootie in Savannah. In the quirky, vibrant coastal city, CeeCee finds a new family of strong and supportive women. A story about strength, resilience, healing from the past and learning that family comes in all forms.
What readers are saying: “I adore this style of writing, dripping with deep southern charm set in the summer of 1967 Savannah, Georgia. What a sparkling gem of a debut for Hoffman. This is a lush story that squeezes your heart, so full of warmth, humor and charismatic characters so real, you just feel like could run over to sit-and-share with them while sipping Iced sweet tea in Tootie’s backyard basking in the aroma of Magnolia and Wisteria blossoms.”
Turner Publishing Company
Eugenia Price has sold more than 40 million books, and To See Your Face Again—which was first released in 1995—continues her reader-favorite Savannah Quartet series in 1830s Georgia. After surviving a horrifying steamship disaster aboard the Pulaski, young Natalie Browning falls in love with the ambitious Burke Latimer. But when tragedy upends Burke’s future, Natalie must leave behind her sheltered life and prove she’s ready for the hardships that come with real love. Filled with rich historical detail and Southern atmosphere, Price’s novel explores how adversity transforms a person and a relationship.
What readers are saying: “This is the second book in the Savannah Series. Historical fiction with just the right amount of romance. These books are long, but they are light reading and I find them a perfect break in the midst of busy seasons.”
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