Historical fiction book · Curated
The Cattle Killing
John Edgar Wideman · historical fiction
Linked narratives of plague, prophecy, and Black life across centuries (SAH Prize 1997).
About this historical novel
The Cattle Killing by John Edgar Wideman is historical fiction set around 18th–20th century in the Early modern / Late 20th century period with key settings including Philadelphia, South Africa. Linked narratives of plague, prophecy, and Black life across centuries (SAH Prize 1997).
On HisFic we tag it under 1. Literary historical fiction and 8. Time-slip & dual timeline so you can pair it with similar story types. Recurring themes include plague, race, and faith. It also appears on our prize-winner shelf—useful if you like critically recognized historical novels.
Use HisFic’s free journey planner to stay in this era or subgenre, save titles to a want-to-read list in your browser, and open Amazon when you are ready to buy. HisFic is discovery-only—not a bookstore—so pages like this exist to help you choose the next historical novel with intent.
Plot summary
Linked narratives of plague, prophecy, and Black life across centuries (SAH Prize 1997).
Awards
- ★ Society of American Historians Prize for Historical Fiction · 1997 (winner)
Biennial US prize (formerly James Fenimore Cooper Prize) for historical fiction on an American subject.
Subgenres
Eras
Browse this mix
More like this on HisFic
Curated titles that share era, story type, or themes.
- News of the Dead · James Robertson
A Highland glen’s stories across centuries of saints, strangers, and secrets (Walter Scott Prize 2022).
- Homegoing · Yaa Gyasi
Linked stories follow two half-sisters’ lineages across centuries of African and American history.
- The Help · Kathryn Stockett
Black maids and a young white writer risk everything to tell the truth about life in 1960s Mississippi.
- The Poisonwood Bible · Barbara Kingsolver
An evangelical family arrives in the Congo on the eve of independence—told through the daughters’ voices.
- Year of Wonders · Geraldine Brooks
A Derbyshire village quarantines itself during the plague—and a servant girl finds her strength.
- Birdsong · Sebastian Faulks
Stephen Wraysford’s prewar love affair in Amiens is swallowed by the Somme, the tunnels under the Western Front, and the unmaking of a generation. A later strand follows his granddaughter as she tries to recover what the Great War buried.
Regions & places
North America · Africa
Philadelphia · South Africa
Themes
- plague
- race
- faith
Tags
award-winner