It’s March, the month for International Women’s Day and also the Women’s History Month. So, I thought why not share with you a few books which you could read this month? Why not share with you books to read this women’s history month; books by women, books on women. These are books which ask important questions, tell relevant stories and most of all have women characters that drive the narrative rather than just be the supporting characters. These are books where you get to see women doing all that they do, often thanklessly as footnotes in history but here as the heroines, they deserve to be. These are books which give you a glimpse into the thoughts of women, into the struggles and the incredible journies of women. Sometimes these are books which through the tales they tell point to a deeper, often important aspect of our society.

Also, these are books by women authors who need to fight an even harder battle to be acknowledged and celebrated as opposed to their male counterparts. Hence, today, I want to share with you books for women, by women and of women.

12 Books To Read This Women’s History Month

The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins

The Confessions of Frannie Langton is a remarkable work of historical fiction which takes you on a journey of a former slave and servant accused of murdering her employer and his wife. From a Jamaican plantation to Georgian England, this literary work has Frannie Langton as the protagonist, a mulatta slave who grew up in Jamaica and then was gifted as a servant to a well-known household in England. She is flawed, conflicted and for her time has ambitions and hopes that seem way above her reach. This book is her confession and her life story.

If you have read Alias Grace, then you’ll realise this book too like the former has a constant eerie appeal to it. It has the conversations around slavery, touched upon the fact that intelligent women often had to play coy to have a roof above their heads because men were the only ones who ran the world at that point in time and what pleasantly surprised me most was that the novel also has romantic love between two females as one of it’s most important aspects. I think it was a very satisfying read for me, a lot of depth in the subject and the characters.

How We Disappeared by Jing-Jing Lee

This is the story of how the Japanese occupation of Singapore during the second world war, affected families there.

It is the story of Wang Di who was abducted from her family when she was just 17 years of age and forced into becoming the much shunned ‘comfort woman’ to the Japanese soldiers. This is the story of how a woman forced into prostitution is made to feel guilty when she returns home. The story of how she carries this weight and the nightmares in her as if it was her fault.

It makes you think how so many people, often women, disappeared at the whims of the powerful and how many lives were ruined. How women have always struggled to survive during wars and their travails away from the front lines hardly acknowledged.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Set in the 60s, this book talks about the life of black maids in Jackson, Mississippi and their treatment by the white families. As mentioned in the book as well, it is probably the story from the perspective of Scarlett’s Mammy from Gone With The Wind. It is a story of women by women and most of all the story of the help. The characters Aibileen, Skeeter, Minny and Hilly will stay with you long after you have turned the last page. It grips on you, talking about the prejudice that existed and maybe in many ways still do. At the bottom of it all, it’s a very humane tale one that you won’t be able to get over for a long time. Needless to say, it is one of my absolute favourites. And once you have read the book, do watch the movie too. That is also very well made.

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

This book is based on the actual Pack Horse Librarians set in Depression-era America. It tells us the stories of some extraordinary women who went above and beyond running a travelling library at a time when women’s roles were very limited. The best thing about this book is that it is about strong women characters who fight the stereotypes, the obstacles and bravely navigate the naysayers doing what they want to do, eventually living the life they want to. Imagine, living in a time when your role was only thought to be one of a wife or a mother and then you go ahead and dare to not toe the line. That is what this book is about. It is about female friendships, love, the stigma around women talking about sex or even living with someone and having a child without being married. It is about female courage set against the backdrop of running a library which at that time seemed audacious for women and I loved that about it. So, yes, I recommend it. I do.

Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell

This is probably one of the most widely read classics of all time. Probably, it is more talked about for the strange bond between Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler. The love-hate relationship they share throughout the book. But what I liked most about this book is the way Scarlett O’Hara lives her life on her own terms even in that age. Her actions and choices are frowned upon, sometimes even uncomfortable for the reader but if you take a closer look you’ll realise this is a woman who followed her heart and didn’t wait for the society’s approval to take her steps. And that’s why, ladies and gentlemen, this is a book every woman must-read.

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To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee

Though the first thing that comes to my mind when I think about this book is Atticus, it is also one of those stories where a father brings up his daughter just like he does his son. And that aspect of equality coupled with Jean Louise Finch telling the story of her childhood touching upon some very important subjects intricately is perhaps one of the very best ever to be found in a book. Unmissable this one. 

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The story of Ifemelu and Obinze, their lives in Nigeria, Ifemelu’s move to America, Obinze’s struggles in the UK and their love in the background of Nigeria’s political turmoil, their dreams, their separation yet the love that never really dies, all of these make for a moving read. It’s a book that will stay with you. Ifemelu certainly will. She is strong, capable and takes you on a journey that will stay with you even after you have turned the last page.

Circe by Madeline Miller

The book is about Circe, the daughter of Helios, the god of the Sun. It is her story from start to finish, how she doesn’t quite fit in with the Gods and is banished to an island for daring to speak the truth, to make an example out of. Sounds like the story of most women, right? From there on starts the tale of Circe, the witch of Aiaia.

What I loved most about this book is that it’s the story of a woman. It’s the story of her survival. The story of a single woman in search of love, her loneliness, how her powers threaten others who thought she was just meant to be a nobody. I love how fierce she is as a woman, a Goddess really, and a mother with all the flaws that one may have. She is not perfect and I loved that about her. I know the storyline draws a lot from Greek mythology but if you read it carefully enough you’ll find undertones of the lives of women relevant even today.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

The story of the March sisters is perhaps one of the very best feminist tales every written. Why? I think because each of the sisters is unique and their outlooks completely different from the other which makes each of their decisions, journeys and thoughts novel. The book is a canvass which paints different women without invalidating the other. Naturally, one of my favourites and I believe a must inclusion in this list.

I want to share with you a list of books for women, by women and of women.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

This book draws you in as you go along with the young Mrs de Winter as she tries to adjust to life in a completely different setting than she has known all her life, complicated by the doubts in her own mind about her shortcomings when compared to the woman who held her place just a year ago. You begin to feel that this is the journey of self-discovery of this young woman who finds the enormity of the place and wealth intimidating. You watch with dismay when she is further shaken and forced to be found wrong-footed by Rebecca’s housekeeper, Mrs Danver’s, hell-bent on persecuting her and also quite transparent with her dislike of her new mistress. But just then the book turns more interesting and then moves at a pace that leaves you breathless and you don’t put down the book till you turn the last page while rooting for the young Mrs de Winter. It reminds you of every woman struggling to be accepted in any new environment she steps into without sounding too bossy or overbearing.

When the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

The book is about Kya, who abandoned by her family when she was just a child grows up alone in a Marsh. She is called ‘The Marsh’ girl by the people in town, people who don’t really know her and people she attempts to stay away from. Yet, the loneliness gets to her and when two young men give her that company, touch that part of her which aches for sharing her life with someone, she feels maybe now she doesn’t have to be alone anymore. Only something terrible happens and it tugs at your heartstrings.

It’s a coming of age story of a girl who overcomes so much and achieves so much. It is the story of a girl who triumphs in the unlikeliest of circumstances.

The Nightingale By Kristin Hannah

The Nightingale is a story set in France during the Second World War. It is the tale of two sisters, their fight for survival and of resistance in German-occupied France.

One of the many things I like about the book is that although it is set during World War II, it revolves around women. And this tiny little fact which is so often ignored is, for me, the selling point of The Nightingale. It is what drew me towards it in the first place. Yes, traditionally men fight, are in the firing line, at the borders and take bullets. And when one talks about war, it is almost always from the perspective of men. The women, their lives, and contributions, almost always conveniently forgotten. But we all know that their sacrifices, their part in resisting and fighting the enemy can’t be discounted. This book addresses that very area, something which is rarely talked about. Something that reaches somewhere deep within me and binds me to it as a reader.

Well, there you have it, 12 books that are all women-centric and must-reads. Have you read any from this booklist for women’s history month? Which one is your favourite? If not, which one are you going to pick up next?