February 28, 1909 was the first Woman's History Day in New York City, commemorating the one-year anniversary of the garment workers' strikes when 15,000 women marched through lower Manhattan. On March 8, 1978, a Sonoma County, California education task force kicked off Women's History Week with International Women's Day. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter declared the week of March 8 Women's History Week across the country. By 1986, 14 states had declared the entire month of March Women's History Month. In March of 1987, Congress declared March Women's History Month. This year's Women's History Month theme is "Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories," encouraging the recognition of women who have been active in all forms of media and storytelling. This list includes some of those stories, as well as biographies, memoirs, fiction, and historical fiction by and about notable and not-so-notable women in history I feel stand out as books to refer to, study from, and to aid in expanding our life perceptions. — Vick
An exploration on how women negotiated the competitive world of modern art during the late Wilhelmine and early Weimar periods in Germany. Their stories challenge predominantly male-oriented narratives of Expressionism and shed light on the divergent artistic responses of women to the dramatic events of the early twentieth century.
A children's book packed with 100 bedtime stories about the lives of extraordinary women from the past and the present, illustrated by 60 female and non-binary artists from all over the world.
The newest addition to the best-selling "Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls collection," shines a spotlight on extraordinary young women making their mark on the world today.
Entertaining and enlightening, funny and provocative, The Wife of Bath is a one-of-a-kind history of a literary and feminist icon who continues to capture the imagination of readers.
Maria, a trans woman living in mid-Aughts Manhattan, is at a crossroads—literally. Readers follow Maria as she speeds through intersections in the NYC grid before heading west to further broaden her self-exploration. Through Maria’s reflections, readers learn of the commonly misunderstood complexities that trans women face.
Louisa May Alcott’s classic tale of four sisters in a deluxe hardcover edition, with beautiful cover illustrations by artist Anna Bond.
With unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and page-turning suspense, Circe is a triumph of storytelling, an intoxicating epic of family rivalry, palace intrigue, love and loss, as well as a celebration of indomitable female strength in a man's world.
A spellbinding novel that transforms history into a story as powerful as Exodus and as intimate as a lullaby.
A riveting novel based on the true story of the woman who stopped a pandemic, from the bestselling author of Mrs. Poe.
From one of today’s most cherished and bestselling young adult authors comes a breathtaking novel of young love, old regrets, and forgiveness—one that’s both tragic and poignant in its tender ferocity.
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.
“A searing, important, beautifully written novel about the choices we all make and where they lead us—as well as a wise and timely reminder of the difficult road women had to walk not so long ago.” — Kristin Harmel
recounts her journey to become a poet in her memoir. Anchored in her family lineage and spirituality, Harjo shares the hardships and happy times that informed who she is today.
Published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, this book from historian Felicia Kornbluh reveals two movement victories in New York that forever changed the politics of reproductive rights nationally.
A bold and revolutionary perspective on the science and cultural history of menstruation. "Period" counters the false theories that have long defined the study of the uterus, exposing the eugenic history of gynecology while providing an intersectional feminist perspective on menstruation science.
Drawing extensively on her own experiences and her deep understanding of the often masked realities of sexual politics, this is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's exploration of what it means to be a woman now—and an of-the-moment rallying cry for why we should all be feminists.
Justice Ginsburg discusses gender equality, the workings of the Supreme Court, being Jewish, law and lawyers in opera, and the value of looking beyond US shores when interpreting the US Constitution.
The phenomenal true story of the black female mathematicians at NASA whose calculations helped fuel some of America’s greatest achievements in space.
A gripping set of stories about the forces that shape girls and the adults they become. A wise and brilliant guide to transforming the self and our society.
For a dose of inspiration and wonder, learn about the real Black female doctors who overcame adversity of all stripes to heal their patients and communities while paving the way for future generations of Black women doctors.
In an inspiring follow-up to her critically acclaimed memoir, "Becoming," former First Lady Michelle Obama shares practical wisdom and powerful strategies for staying hopeful and balanced in today’s highly uncertain world.
Warm, wise, and revelatory, "Becoming" is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations—and whose story inspires us to do the same.
From the Tony Award-winning and bestselling author of "The Vagina Monologues," V (formerly Eve Ensler) explores ways to create an unstoppable force for change, to love and survive love, to hold people and states accountable, to reckon with demons and honor the dead, to reclaim the body, and to see oneself as connected to a greater purpose.
This essay collection from the “bitches gotta eat” blogger, writer on Hulu’s Shrill, and “one of our country’s most fierce and foulmouthed authors” (Amber Tamblyn, Vulture) is sure to make you alternately laugh with glee and cry real tears.
An exhilarating blend of autobiography and mythology, of world and self, of hot rage and cool analysis. First published in 1976, "The Woman Warrior" has become a classic in its innovative portrayal of multiple and intersecting identities — immigrant, female, Chinese, American.
This powerful book is Didion’ s attempt to make sense of the “weeks and then months that cut loose any fixed idea I ever had about death, about illness ... about marriage and children and memory ... about the shallowness of sanity, about life itself.
A candid and amusing look at women of a certain age and dealing with the tribulations of maintenance, menopause, empty nests, and life itself.
This edition accompanies the 2009 BBC TV series written by Deborah Moggach. "The Diary of a Young Girl" is one of the most celebrated and enduring books of the last century and it remains a deeply admired testament to the indestructible nature of the human spirit.
This graphic edition of Anne Franks story remains faithful to her original diary, while the stunning illustrations interpret and add layers of visual meaning and immediacy to this classic work of Holocaust literature.
In the first volume of an exciting new series, "Queens of the Conquest," bestselling author Alison Weir brings the dramatic reigns of England’s medieval queens to life. “Another sound feminist resurrection by a seasoned historian . . . Though Norman queens were largely unknowable, leave it to this prolific historical biographer to bring them to life. . . . As usual, Weir is meticulous in her research.”— Kirkus Reviews
Heroines of Olympus retells the tales of 50 classic characters, plucking the threads of their lives from the myriad narratives in which they have appeared and weaving them together to create the full stories of these legendary women. Each story is accompanied by a captivating illustration and followed by a critical analysis of their role in the tradition of Greek storytelling, and in ancient society.
At once a scathing satire, an ominous warning, and a tour de force of narrative suspense, "The Handmaid’s Tale" has become a modern classic.
With this beautiful graphic novel adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s modern classic, beautifully realized by artist Renée Nault, the terrifying reality of Gilead has been brought to vivid life like never before.
Based on eight years of immersive research that introduces us to three unforgettable women—and one remarkable writer—whose experiences remind us that we are not alone.
Celebrated NPR correspondent Nina Totenberg delivers an extraordinary memoir of her personal successes, struggles, and life-affirming relationships, including her beautiful friendship of nearly fifty years with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
A poignant story of resilience and love passed down against steep odds. It honors the creativity and resourcefulness of people who preserved family ties when official systems refused to do so, and it serves as a visionary illustration of how to reconstruct and recount their stories today.
Donner chronicles the extraordinary life and brutal death of her great-great-aunt Mildred Harnack, the American leader of one of the largest underground resistance groups in Germany during WWII —“a page-turner story of espionage, love and betrayal.” — Kai Bird, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Biography
Intimate in feeling, astonishing in scope, and impossible to put down, "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" captures the drama of scientific discovery, as well as its human consequences and the ensuing deceits associated to this specific research.
Elizabeth Blackwell believed from an early age that she was destined for a mission beyond the scope of "ordinary" womanhood. Though the world at first recoiled at the notion of a woman studying medicine, her intelligence and intensity ultimately won her the acceptance of the male medical establishment. In 1849, she became the first woman in America to receive an M.D. She was soon joined in her iconic achievement by her younger sister, Emily, who was actually the more brilliant physician. Both sisters were tenacious and visionary, but their convictions did not always align with the emergence of women’s rights―or with each other.
In this exquisite story of family, food, grief, and endurance, Michelle Zauner proves herself far more than a dazzling singer, songwriter, and guitarist. With humor and heart, she tells of growing up one of the few Asian American kids at her school in Eugene, Oregon; of struggling with her mother's particular, high expectations of her; of a painful adolescence; of treasured months spent in her grandmother's tiny apartment in Seoul, where she and her mother would bond, late at night, over heaping plates of food.
From Snow White to Moana, from Pinocchio to Frozen, the animated films of Walt Disney Studios have moved and entertained millions. But few fans know that behind these groundbreaking features was an incredibly influential group of women who fought for respect in an often ruthless male-dominated industry and who have slipped under the radar for decades. With gripping storytelling, and based on extensive interviews and exclusive access to archival and personal documents, The Queens of Animation reveals the vital contributions these women made to Disney's Golden Age and their continued impact on animated filmmaking, culminating in the record-shattering Frozen, Disney's first female-directed full-length feature film.
Weaving together American history, dramatic family chronicle, and searing episodes of memoir, Annette Gordon-Reed’s "On Juneteenth" provides a historian’s view of the country’s long road to Juneteenth, recounting both its origins in Texas and the enormous hardships that African-Americans have endured in the century since, from Reconstruction through Jim Crow and beyond.
“In climbing the Seven Summits, Silvia Vasquez-Lavado did nothing less than take back her own life―one brave step at a time. She will inspire untold numbers of souls with this story, for her victory is a win on behalf of all of us.” — Elizabeth Gilbert
From the bestselling and Booker Prize–winning author of Girl, Woman, Other, Bernardine Evaristo’s memoir of her own life and writing, and her manifesto on unstoppability, creativity, and activism.
A beautifully illustrated coming-of-age graphic memoir chronicling how sports shaped one young girl’s life and changed women’s history forever.
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The first biography of Dorothy Pitman Hughes, a trailblazing Black feminist activist whose work made children, race, and welfare rights central to the women’s movement.
American pop music is arguably this country’s greatest cultural contribution to the world, and its singular voice and virtuosity were created by a shining thread of Black women geniuses stretching back to the country’s founding.
Part graphic novel, part memoir, Wake is an imaginative tour de force that tells the story of women-led slave revolts and chronicles scholar Rebecca Hall’s efforts to uncover the truth about these women warriors who, until now, have been left out of the historical record. An NPR and The Washington Post Best Book of 2021
From the founder and activist behind one of the largest movements of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the "me too" movement, Tarana Burke debuts a powerful memoir about her own journey to saying those two simple yet infinitely powerful words―me too―and how she brought empathy back to an entire generation in one of the largest cultural events in American history.
Her Country is the story of how in the past two decades, country’s women fought back against systems designed to keep them down and created entirely new pathways to success. It’s the behind-the-scenes story of how women like Kacey, Mickey, Maren, Miranda Lambert, Rissi Palmer, Brandi Carlile, and many more have reinvented their place in an industry stacked against them.
From a bold new voice in nonfiction, an exhilarating account of the lives and works of influential 17th and 18th century feminist philosophers Mary Wollstonecraft and her predecessors who have been written out of history, and a searing look at the author's experience of patriarchy and sexism in academia.
Author of Sex with Kings and Sex with Presidents, returns with another work of popular history, exploring the history of misogyny against women with power from Cleopatra to Kamala Harris.
A Girlhood is a love letter to a child who has always known exactly who she is—and who is waiting for the rest of the world to catch up.
“This book is a beautiful object, but it’s also much more than that: an essay collection, a trove of recipes, a guidebook for how we might use food to fight for and further justice. The women in its pages remind us that it’s in the kitchen, in the field, and around the table that we do our most vital work as human beings—and that, now more than ever, we must.” — Molly Wizenberg
The dramatic, untold stories of the diverse array of women who helped transform the American West. Hard-drinking, hard-living poker players and prostitutes of the new boom towns; wives and mothers traveling two and a half thousand miles across the prairies in covered-wagon convoys, some of them so poor they walked the entire route; African-American women in search of freedom from slavery; Chinese sex-workers sold openly on the docks of San Francisco; Native American women brutally displaced by the unstoppable tide of white settlers — these were the women who settled the American West, whose stories until now have remained mostly untold.
In Saved by a Song, Mary Gauthier pulls the curtain back on the artistry of songwriting. Part memoir, part philosophy of art, part nuts and bolts of songwriting, her book celebrates the redemptive power of song to inspire and bring seemingly different kinds of people together.
Eighteen Afghan women living in, speaking about, and writing from the country itself tell stories that are powerful and illuminating, unique and universal — stories of family, work, childhood, friendship, war, gender identity, and cultural traditions. A landmark collection: the first anthology of short fiction by Afghan women that are "powerful, profound, and deeply moving." — Elif Shafak
From the critically acclaimed artist, designer, and author comes a wondrous collection of words and paintings that is a moving meditation on the beauty and complexity of women’s lives and roles, revealed in the things they hold.
A bitingly honest and darkly funny debut about ambition, sex, power, and love that cracks open the timeless questions of what it is to be young, what it is to want to be wanted, and what it is to find your calling but lose your way to it. “Imogen Crimp’s enjoyable debut novel… is an all-too-real reminder of what it is to be a woman in your 20s…” – The New York Times
A unique focus on women and men in public life from 1860 to the present day charting the phenomenon of 'the only woman' from countries including the USA and the UK, France, Peru, Mexico, India, China, Japan, and Australia. The book features both unknown and well-known women from a diverse range of backgrounds including writers, conductors, civil-rights leaders, domestic workers, sportswomen, and lawyers as well as princesses, railway workers, boxing promoters, and astronauts.
A captivating biography of the remarkable young Scotswoman whose bold decision to help “Bonnie” Prince Charlie—the Stuart claimant to the British throne—evade capture and flee the country has become the stuff of legend.