I tend to trust books like The Year of the Wind when they sound built for readers who want an intelligent recommendation with emotional texture rather than for everyone in the abstract.
In historical fiction, I keep looking for books that understand the book’s most recommendable trait and do not settle for bland competence.
If the execution matches the setup, this becomes the kind of recommendation I would pass along quickly and mean it. Graywolf Press has it listed for 04-Nov-2025.