“I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.”
The Roaring ‘20s. A time of glitz and glamour, bobbed haircuts and speakeasies, jazz music and swing dancing. The 1920s were the decade where the United States emerged as a world superpower, enticing thousands with the idea of the American Dream where a life of luxury was on the cards if you could work hard enough and dream big enough. However, for many, disillusionment was often just as commonplace as the lavish spending and big parties from those on Wall Street. Love, wealth, extravagance, ambition and materialism are the major themes from the era, and we here at What We Reading have compiled a list of the best 1920s books that encapsulate these perfectly!
The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
Written in 1925, The Great Gatsby is part of historical fiction as well as part social commentary. It is one of the all-time great pieces of American literature and studied by thousands in the years since its release.
The story is that of the enigmatic Jay Gatsby, as well as his love of the glamorous Daisy Buchanan and decadent parties hosted on Long Island during an era where the New York Times claimed: ‘gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession’. Written during the height of the Jazz Age, The Great Gatsby remains one of the best 1920s books for capturing the feel of the era from those enjoying it in the upper echelons of society.
The Diviners (The Diviners #1) – Libba Bray
Nominated for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction in the Goodreads Choice Awards, The Diviners is a paranormal mystery book from Libba Bray. Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her sleepy hometown to the bustling streets of 1926 New York City. There, she lives with her uncle and his strange obsession with the occult. She spends her days praying that her uncle won’t discover the supernatural she has kept hidden, having caused nothing but harm so far. But, when a body is discovered on the speakeasy-filled streets branded with a cryptic symbol, she soon realises that her power may help catch a serial killer.
As Evie begins her hunt for a killer stalking the streets of the city that never sleeps, Bray also introduces a number of other stories from those across 1920s New York, intertwining together as something dark and sinister awakens in the shadows.
The Chaperone – Laura Moriarty
Another Goodreads nominee, Laura Moriarty draws upon the real history of 1920s and 1930s America in The Chaperone. From the orphan trains, prohibition, flappers, the onset of the Great Depression and the early movements for women’s equal rights, the story explores the values held by those living through the era, and how quickly these ideals and norms would be altered.
The story itself follows two women: fifteen-year-old Louise Brooks and her dour chaperone, thirty-six-year-old Cora Carlisle. The two leave their hometown of Wichita, Kansas for the prestigious Denishawn School of Dancing in New York. Readers follow the pair over one fateful summer where being caught up in the heart of the Jazz Age will alter their lives forever.
The Girl From The Savoy – Hazel Gaynor
Flying over to the overside of the Atlantic pond, Hazel Gaynor’s The Girl from the Savoy is a sparkling historical fiction 1920s story. Dolly Lane is a downtrodden maid with dreams of dancing one day on London’s biggest stages. Finding work as a chambermaid in the city’s grandest hotel, The Savoy, she watches on as the new generation of Bright Young Things thrives on jazz and champagne.
But, when an unexpected job opportunity as a muse in London’s blossoming theatre scene arises, Dolly soon finds herself presented with a series of difficult choices. Standing on the edge of the life she has always longed for, a girl like Dolly will have to leave her past behind her as a new era dawns on the horizon.
These Violent Delights (These Violent Delights #1) – Chloe Gong
A captivating retelling of the world’s most famous love story, Chloe Gong blends Shakespearean tragedy with the bustling setting of 1920s Shanghai in These Violent Delights. A blood feud has gripped the city, with eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai at the heart of it. A former flapper who has returned to take her place as the heir of the Scarlet Gang, only the White Roses can match them for power in the city.
At the head is Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love, and first betrayal. But when gangsters on both sides of the conflict begin to show unnatural signs of madness and instability, rumours surface of contagion, of madness and of a monster lurking in the shadows. Roma and Juliette are forced into an uneasy alliance, knowing that, without working together, there may not be a city left for either of them to rule over.
Check Out The Best Books Like These Violent Delights
The Other Typist – Suzanne Rindell
Confessions are bread and butter to Rose Baker. As a typist for the New York City Police Department, criminals come to her to confess their crimes and, with a few swipes of her keys, she is able to seal their fate. But, when Odalie joins the writing pool, Rose’s veneer as a prim and traditional woman begins to fall.
Immersed in a new world of jazz and speakeasies, what begins as a fascination soon descends into a potentially deadly obsession. Suzanne Rindell’s The Other Typist is a haunting book set in 1920s New York, pulling in a reader with crime, punishment, cigarettes, martinis and countless twists and turns along the way.
The Ringmaster’s Wife – Kristy Cambron
As the daughter of a Yorkshire earl, Rosamund Easling is destined for a life of titles and opulence. However, when her father sells her beloved horse having fallen on hard times in the wake of the Great War, the stage is set for a series of events that will entirely change Rosamund’s fate. Abandoning everything in search of a life of adventure, she follows the path of her horse to American John Ringling and his big-top Ringling Brother circus.
Agreeing to perform barebacking riding for the show, Rosamund is immersed in the lives of the Ringlings, discovering a sense of purpose, and a long-dormant awakening in both her heart and her faith. The Ringmaster’s Wife is a whirlwind 1920s book, whisking readers from the English countryside to the last days of the big-top circuses and Jazz Age.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
