Fierce Females, Historical FictionLike this list

31 items

• The Silence of the Girls

  Barker, Pat, 1943-

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  "A retelling of Homer’s Iliad through the eyes of queen Briseis, who becomes displaced and enslaved after Achilles’s pillage of the city. King Agamemnon claims her as his slave, and she is forced into following him as the Greek army advances to…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Only Woman in the Room

  Benedict, Marie,

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  "A fascinating look at a famous movie star with an unexpected past: Hedy Lamarr, the Austria-born screen siren who was also a brilliant inventor. Brisk pacing and atmospheric scenes of pre-World War II Europe round out this intriguing work of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Personal Librarian

  Benedict, Marie

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  "The little-known story of the Black woman who supervised J. Pierpont Morgan’s storied library." (Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2021)

• The Vanishing Half

  Bennett, Brit,

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  "Centering on two twin light-skinned black girls who grew up in a strange town in the Jim Crow south, this book explores racism, colorism, sexism, and familial relationships through the interweaving storylines of vivid and complicated characters.…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Moloka'i

  Brennert, Alan

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  "Compellingly original in its conceit, Brennert's sweeping debut novel tracks the grim struggle of a Hawaiian woman who contracts leprosy as a child in Honolulu during the 1890s and is deported to the island of Moloka'i, where she grows to adulthood…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Next Year in Havana

  Cleeton, Chanel,

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  "A freelance writer returns to her grandmother’s homeland to fulfill her last wish to have her ashes scattered in Havana and discovers her family history amidst Cuba’s tropical beauty and dangerous political environment." (Novelist)

• Shadows of Pecan Hollow

  Frost, Caroline,

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  In Pecan Hollow, TX, Kit is raising her teenage daughter on her own, when the con man who adopted Kit as a child tracks her down after fifteen years in prison. This debut from Caroline Frost won the 10th annual Crook's Corner Book Prize for a good…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Peach Blossom Spring

  Fu, Melissa,

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  "Richly described . . . deeply compassionate . . . a haunting tribute to immigrant families and a gorgeous meditation on how stories can shape identity." (Shelf Awareness)

• Lessons in Chemistry

  Garmus, Bonnie,

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  "In the 1950s and early 1960s when women were viewed as little more than chattel for men’s convenience, Elizabeth Zott had the temerity to become a chemist. With complex and wonderful characters, her story is funny, sad, enraging, hopeful, and will…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Homegoing

  Gyasi, Yaa,

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  "An engaging family saga following two half-sisters – one who marries into privilege and one sold into slavery – and their descendants as they navigate the politics of their separate countries and their heritage. Each is directly affected in some…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Four Winds

  Hannah, Kristin,

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  "Beautifully written historical fiction about a mother's love and strength holding a family together as they leave the Dust Bowl and head West to fulfill dreams of green lands, only to find themselves unwelcome and with conditions worse than what…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Nightingale

  Hannah, Kristin,

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  "Reunited when the elder's husband is sent to fight in World War II, French sisters Vianne and Isabelle find their bond as well as their respective beliefs tested by a world that changes in horrific ways." (Novelist)

• The Once and Future Witches

  Harrow, Alix E.,

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  "In a world where women and magic have been burned and bound, three sisters set about to bring power and rights back to women and in doing so, find their way back to each other." (LibraryReads)

• The Ten Thousand Doors of January

  Harrow, Alix E.,

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  A woman navigating the out-of-place artifacts in her caretaker’s sprawling early 20th-century mansion discovers a mysterious book that reveals impossible truths about the world and her own past. (Novelist)

• The Poisonwood Bible

  Kingsolver, Barbara

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  "The family of a fierce evangelical Baptist missionary--Nathan Price, his wife, and his four daughters--begins to unravel after they embark on a 1959 mission to the Belgian Congo, where they find their lives forever transformed over the course of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Code Name Hélène

  Lawhon, Ariel,

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  "Based on the real-life exploits of "socialite spy" Nancy Wake, this story presents Wake's heroism, alongside the bravery and sacrifice of all who fought, giving hope that even in the darkest times there are real-life heroes. Readers will be…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Pachinko

  Lee, Min Jin,

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  "Lee’s (Free Food for Millionaires) latest novel is a sprawling and immersive historical work that tells the tale of one Korean family’s search for belonging, exploring questions of history, legacy, and identity across four generations. In the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Shadow King

  Mengiste, Maaza,

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  "A historical retelling of the 1935 Italian invasion of Ethiopia, this lyrical narrative details the lives of actual women soldiers that fought against the imperialist powers of Mussolini’s regime and eventually helped Ethiopia conquer its…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Circe

  Miller, Madeline

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  For readers of historical and mythological drama, this story details the transformation of Circe from a banished daughter of the Titans to a powerful witch. Circe embraces her powers and turns them on a god of Olympus.

• Mexican Gothic

  Moreno-Garcia, Silvia,

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  "A reimagining of the classic gothic suspense novel follows the experiences of a courageous socialite in 1950s Mexico who is drawn into the treacherous secrets of an isolated mansion." (Novelist)