The Fraud

Why it’s on the list: Zadie Smith’s first historical novel, built on the Tichborne claimant trial of the 1870s — a Victorian impostor case used to ask who gets believed and why.

Where I saw it: In the reply thread to @moseskagan’s question, “What historical fiction should I read next? (Bonus points for something involving building or trade, rather than violence)” (April 13, 2025) — a crowd-sourced list Kyle recovered by hand and saved to his Apple Note “Books To Read”; the full set of replies lives on What historical fiction should I… (tweet). It was listed there as “The Fraud — Zadie Smith”.

Connections

• Historical Fiction — The genre the thread was asking about.
• Zadie Smith — Author.
• What historical fiction should I… (tweet) — the thread this recommendation came from.