Historical fiction needs not only character development, themes, and emotional connections for the reader, it needs authentic history. As James Thom said in The Art and Craft of Writing Historical Fiction, "Some readers are learning the history of their country through the story in my novel. They didn't learn the history very well in school because it was taught in ways that were dry or boring. The historical novelist has a responsibility to keep the history as accurate as research can make it" (123). That said, of course the protagonist must grow through dramatic events, sensory details must involve the reader, and the climax must bring to life the thematic relevance of the story.
