Historical Fiction Book Group
Stories that shape the past, and us.
A neighborhood book group hosted at The Agency Bainbridge Island, devoted to historical fiction, the novels that take us into other eras, other countries, other lives, and bring us back with a little more empathy than we left with.
When & where
The 4th Monday of every month.
We gather on the 4th Monday of every month from 5:30 to 6:30 PM at The Agency Bainbridge Island office on Winslow Way. Wine, coffee, and a small spread are provided. Plan on about an hour, long enough for a thorough conversation, short enough to be home for dinner.
All readers are welcome, whether you finished the book, started it, or just want to listen in. There are no quizzes, no homework checks, and no required participation, only good conversation around a story we read together.
Host
Hosted by Raymond Conners, Managing Director & Managing Broker at The Agency Bainbridge Island and a lifelong reader. Raymond curates each month's selection, opens the discussion with a few light prompts, and lets the conversation find its own shape from there.
A sample of our readings
Stories we've lived in together.
A small selection from recent meetings, sweeping historical novels that have anchored our conversations across decades, continents, and the lives of people we'd otherwise never meet.
The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother)
The Japanese Lover
Buckeye
A Prayer for Owen Meany
The Book of Lost Names
The Young Will Remember
The Mountains Sing
The Women on Platform Two
Why historical fiction
The genre that opens doors.
01 · Empathy
Other lives, fully felt
A great historical novel doesn't just describe an era, it puts you inside the experience of someone who lived it, with all the texture of their choices and constraints.
02 · Perspective
Our moment in context
Reading the past well is one of the better ways to understand the present. Patterns repeat. Pressures rhyme. Conversations shift.
03 · Conversation
Stories worth discussing
Historical fiction gives a group something substantial to wrestle with, questions of memory, identity, displacement, courage, that a single reader can't quite think through alone.
What to expect
An evening, not an obligation.
Each meeting follows a gentle rhythm: a quick welcome, a few opening prompts, an open conversation that follows the most interesting threads, and a closing share of what next month's title will be. Raymond keeps things moving, makes sure quieter voices have room, and steps back when the conversation is finding its own way.
A typical evening
- 5:30 PM · Welcome and a brief introduction to the author and the era.
- 5:40 PM · Discussion: prompts, themes, favorite passages, hard questions.
- 6:25 PM · Choose next month's title together.
- 6:30 PM · Wrap up.
First time?
You're welcome, finished or not.
There is no membership, no commitment, no fee. If the title sounds interesting, come. If you're still in the middle of the book, come anyway. If you read it years ago and want to revisit it with a group, come. The standing invitation works in your favor.
Connect
A good book is better shared.
Send a note to be added to the reminder list, we'll let you know the next title and meeting date.
Send a note