Curious Toys (Elizabeth Hand)

A gripping mystery set in 1915 Chicago, featuring a teenage girl who passes as a boy and the outsider artist Henry Darger. What made the book so successful for me was the combination of rich historical texture and contemporary concerns. While other authors often have to rely on shorthand and cameos by famous people, Hand is so good at making the period come alive through everyday details, from how many shirts Pin owns to how much it costs to buy a meal. At the same time, the book doesn't shy away from challenging the reader to look at the ways that girls are exploited for pleasure and profit, and how queerness can be a source of both resistance and vulnerability.