Authors:
Candice Buchanan, Reference Librarian, History and Genealogy Section
Sheree Budge, Reference Librarian, History and Genealogy Section
Laura Gottesman, Reference Librarian, Humanities & Social Sciences Section
Created: February 6, 2023
Last Updated: May 24, 2024
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The twists and turns of a fiction novel may seem outrageous to some readers, but ask any genealogist to share the story of their most amazing discovery, and you will probably hear a plot that could rival your favorite bestseller!
Fiction novels that are about, or that incorporate, family history can both entertain and inspire. Active researchers can enjoy a fictional foray as a break from their own ongoing investigations, but they may also come away from the read with new ideas or motivation. Simultaneously, readers who have never attempted to track down their ancestors can marvel at the creative plotlines, and then perhaps begin to wonder about their own relatives' stories.
Browse the Library of Congress Online Catalog for themes and topics that capture your imagination or curiosity. The list below offers a selection of subject headings that are often associated with genealogical fiction. Find more subjects by following the step-by-step directions in the Library's Genealogy Basics Research Guide.
The Library of Congress has one of the world's premier collections of U.S. and foreign genealogical and local historical publications, numbering more than 50,000 compiled family histories and over 100,000 U.S. local histories. The Library's genealogy collection began as early as 1815 with the purchase of Thomas Jefferson's library.
