Historical fiction about people's lives

[Sowingbees]

Can anyone recommend a book/books where characterisation and intricacies of life are as important as the story.

The books I have recently finished are The Glass Women, Circe, The Snow Child, and one I can't remember about a detective in pre war Greece, where I disliked the actual story but liked the description of the area and history.

The criticism of Captain Corellis Mandolin was that the first 50 pages were a slog, they were my favourite bit, just the tiny details of another's life.

Thanks

How about Elena Ferrante? The series that starts with My Brilliant Friend.
Not so long ago as the ones you mention, but people like them for heir immersion into the characters as well as place and time.

I recently read Fortune's Rocks by Anita Shreve, set in turn of the 20th century east-coast US. It's a romance, so lots about relationships, and the period is quite vividly written.

The Mercies, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, is set in remote 17th-C Norway. It's about the climate of fear around 'witches' but also has details of their very hard everyday lives.

Seven Sister series - Lucinda Riley - have parallel stories of past and present
Robert Harris books - really good historical novels

Annie Murray books do this. Full of history and ignite the brain.

The Blue Afternoon by William Boyd is interesting about the development of anaesthesia for surgery (long time since I read it though).

I've only read the first two books, but I thought Elizabeth Jane Howard's Cazalet Chronicles were good for this - lots of detail about clothes, food and drink, household routines and set up, what the servants did and what the well-off family did, tons of detail

I just came on to say the Cazalet Chronicles too!

You want Still Life by Sarah Winman! Lots of wonderful character building and detail about their lives.

Thank you all for taking time to reply, the only recommendation that I've already read is Anita Shreve who I love. I'm very excited to get started and mu Jubilee weekend plan is to sit in the garden and read so thank you.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel set in Tudor England
Kirsten Lavransdatter by Sigrid Unsted set in medieval Norway

Both trilogies so lots to immerse yourself in.

Oh I loved The Snow Child so I'm following with interest!

An excellent Jubilee weekend plan!

An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris. It’s the story of Alfred Dreyfus that gripped the world. Am just finishing it and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Year of Wonders, by Geraldine Brookes
slightly hard-to -believe -in ending but still a great read - lots of details about daily life in England during time of the Plague