Strikingly Perfect Historical Fiction Reads for Women's History Month
Fall back in time with strong female guides
Historical fiction is my favorite genre to read. I love immersing myself in another time period, imagining myself as an 18th-century duchess, 20th-century spy, or medieval queen. Additionally, there's something soothing about knowing the historical timeline and, consequently, the general ending. While I will read almost any historical fiction novel, my particular favorites are those written by women that feature enthralling female protagonists. Such books are especially important reads during Women's History Month. This following quintet includes nothing less than that.
1. My Notorious Life
If you read only one book from this list, MAKE SURE it is My Notorious Life by Kate Manning! In this rags to riches story, Lower East Side orphan Axie Muldoon navigates the grimy, corrupt world of the Gilded Age. After losing her siblings to poverty and her mother to childbirth, Axie becomes a champion of women as the notorious Madame X. In these pages, she tells her story in her own explicit, honest words. She becomes one of the wealthiest people in her time, but money cannot bind together a shattered family, heal age-old prejudices against women, or keep Axie safe from moral crusaders.
All things disclosed, My Notorious Life is about women's reproductive rights, notably abortion and birth control. Like all the books on this list, it breathes life and humanity into these enduring issues. It is disturbing, honest, and brave– the exact attributes that make it one of my favorite books. I highly recommend this if looking for a book that will open your eyes, rub your nerves, and make you think.
2. Another Brooklyn
In Another Brooklyn, protagonist August runs into a childhood best friend while riding the subway. This chance meeting sets in motion a series of reflections for August. She remembers growing up in Brooklyn, a place where she held tightly onto her girlfriends until– simply stated– she didn’t. As an adult, August sees her childhood with shrewd, wise eyes. She sees both the idealized Brooklyn of friendship, but also the darker side of Brooklyn– the (an)other Brooklyn.
Reading historical fiction always reminds me of how little the human condition has changed over the ages. Growing up always has been, and always will be, a painful experience. No matter where one grows up, we all have a complicated relationship with our childhood; we cannot help but idolize our youthful ignorance, but, as an adult, we cannot ignore the darker realities. If there is one person I trust with portraying this complicated relationship, it is the poetic Jacqueline Woodson.
3. The Girls
California. Summer. 1969. There are men on the moon. Singers grace the stages of Woodstock. And it all culminates with the bloody Manson Murders. Cline's The Girls is a VERY thinly-veiled retelling of this cult. 14-year old Evie Boyd struggles with her parent's divorce, typical teenage restlessness, and a yearning for adulthood; amidst these heavy feelings, she becomes entangled with the flowy-dresses, independent, and free-spirited girls of a local ranch-based cult. On this dilapidated ranch with these strange characters, Evie feels free at last. As the summer progresses, she throws herself into her obsession with her cult cohorts. Cline pushes her readers to the edge of their seats; we know this summer's violent end, and we cannot help but grind our teeth as we wonder how Evie, inevitably ignorant of the near-future, will fare in these murders.
All things disclosed, this book has mixed reviews; I, however, love it. Like most of my favorite books, it’s gross, honest, and a little bit violent. Above all, I thought The Girls offered an accurate portrayal of the insecurities and vulnerability of teenage girls as they search for a place to belong. It sounds foolish, but I cannot help but wonder if I, once a teenager with the same desperation for reassurance and confidence as these girls, would have embraced this cult if given the opportunity in the 1960s (I don’t think I would have– I hate dirt, but still!).
4. Infinite Country
Infinite Country has three concurrent storylines: a romance that begins in war-torn Columbia at the beginning of the millennium as well as a contemporary storyline of a torn-apart undocumented family in both New Jersey and Columbia. Mauro and Elena meet in Columbia as teenagers, travel to the United States together, and start a family. After a drunken incident, however, ICE tears the family apart, sending Mauro back to Columbia and leaving Elena behind in New Jersey. Engel tells their story of love, survival, and luck in a whirlwind of lyrical prose.
Though shelved under historical fiction, my favorite part of this novel was the contemporary storylines. The historical fiction provided necessary context, but these modern-day stories radiate importance. In a world where immigration is a hot topic, this story is a must-read as it brings tangible humanity to the issue.
5. The Other Boleyn Girl
I wanted to close this list out on a lighter note. So, of course, I chose a book about the three Bs: beheading, betrayal, and the Boleyns. All jokes aside, after a list of books dealing with adolescence, immigration, and abortion, The Other Boleyn Girl feels like a romp through Henry VIII's court. It is a juicy book ripe for escapism.
Most of us have heard of Anne Boleyn, the fatefully beheaded second queen of King Henry VIII. Her younger sister Mary has slipped beneath history’s radar. Philippa Gregory imagines her life with all of its love and pain in these pages. Before Anne, Mary was the young mistress of Henry– or, perhaps more accurately put, the first Boleyn woman sent to his bed as a pawn in her family’s ambitious schemes. After Anne’s rise, Mary is the first person tossed aside by both her family and the English court. As the tide turns against the Boleyns, however, Mary may be the only one who can save them. Will she?
