The 1960s feel especially resonant from where I sit now in the 2020s. So much of our current social and political climate has echoes of that era, when people were sharply divided and protests — largely driven by young people — about free speech, the Vietnam War, civil rights and women’s place in society reshaped the nation.
And it’s not just politics. You can easily trace the lineage from Beatlemania to the furor around Taylor Swift’s Eras and Beyoncé’s Renaissance tours. Humanity’s first steps on the moon were to many people in the ’60s what self-driving cars and A.I. are to people today. The decade that took so many steps forward for mankind is still the blueprint for progress. Then just as now, changes were taking place in every arena, from science to pop culture to human rights, transforming the world as we know it.
Here are 10 historical novels that offer fresh perspectives on the upheavals of the ’60s, transporting readers with character-driven stories that illuminate the everyday joys and struggles of living through a transformative decade.
