- The Story of Mary Thomas: A Tale of the Kentucky Mountains (1924)
- The Crowning of the Golden Lily: A Story of China in 1937 (1938)
- No God Can Die (1941)
- This Glorious Age: A Biography of George Washington (1945)
- The First Ladies, as I Knew Them (1954)
- Prince Consort: A Story of Louis Philippe, King of the French (1956)
- Napoleon III, the Second Empire, and the Rise of Modern Europe (1957)
- From a Garden to a City (1968)
- In the Mirror (1970)
- In Every Corner Sing: A Life of Fanny Crosby (1973)
- With a Stranger's Eyes (1976)
- Love and Loyalty (1981)
In addition to her writing, Vest was also a lecturer, teacher, and political activist. She was a member of the American Civil Liberties Union and the Democratic Party, and she was actively involved in the civil rights movement.