This Women’s History Month, and always, we’re celebrating strong women’s voices in fiction and nonfiction—and showcasing some amazing trailblazers in history along the way.
Check out more stories about women who changed the world.
Women’s Voices in Fiction:
The Daughters of Shandong: A Novel by Eve J. Chung
A propulsive, extraordinary novel about a mother and her daughters’ harrowing escape to Taiwan as the Communist revolution sweeps through China, by debut author Eve J. Chung, based on her family story.
“Daughters of Shandong is a powerful and poignant interrogation of mothers, daughters, and the sacrifices they make for love . . . You won’t be able to forget this compelling tale of resilience and hope.”—Jean Kwok, New York Times bestselling author of The Leftover Women and Girl in Translation
“In Eve J. Chung’s skillful debut, she creates a winding, breathtaking tale through the many political upheavals of mid-century China . . . Spellbindingly transportive, Daughters of Shandong is one of those rare books that stays with readers long after the last pages and promises to illuminate all the corners of humanity.”—Thao Thai, author of Banyan Moon
Available May 7th in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Watch Eve J. Chung on Our ‘Book Club Best Bets’ Author Panel
The American Daughters: A Novel by Maurice Carlos Ruffin
A gripping historical novel about a spirited girl who joins a sisterhood working to undermine the Confederates—from the award-winning author of We Cast a Shadow.
“I knew from page one that this wasn’t going to be a typical journey through a familiar history . . . A splendid work.”—Robert Jones, Jr., author of The Prophets
“Maurice Carlos Ruffin’s third book is a tour de force. An intelligent and haunting novel that grapples with the legacies of American slavery, The American Daughters features a sparkling cast of engaging Black women that you won’t soon forget.”—Lauren Wilkinson, author of American Spy
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Watch Maurice Carlos Ruffalo on Our ‘Book Club Best Bets’ Author Panel
Finding Margaret Fuller: A Novel by Allison Pataki
A “sweeping” (Entertainment Weekly) novel of America’s forgotten leading lady, the central figure of a movement that defined a nation—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post.
“Whether exploring Margaret’s remarkable friendships or delving into her crucial legacy as a journalist, writer, and feminist, Finding Margaret Fuller promises to transform every reader it touches.”—Marie Benedict, co-author of The Personal Librarian
Available March 19th in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Memory Piece: A Novel by Lisa Ko
The award-winning author of The Leavers offers a visionary novel of friendship, art, and ambition that asks: What is the value of a meaningful life?
“Wild and wonderful, punk and propulsive, Memory Piece is about three friends growing from girlhood into a sinister new world. It is about authenticity, surveillance, capitalism, queerness, and the internet. It is about—it is—everything.”—Julia Phillips, National Book Award finalist author of The Disappearing Earth
“A group portrait of three women who wrest meaning from a world that is closing down around them, Memory Piece is bright with defiance, intelligence, and stubborn love. To spend time with these characters is a gift.”—C Pam Zhang, bestselling author of How Much of These Hills is Gold
Available March 19th in Hardcover, eBook, Audio, and Large Print Editions.
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Women’s Voices in Nonfiction:
How to Live Free in a Dangerous World: A Decolonial Memoir by Shayla Lawson
Poet and journalist Shayla Lawson follows their National Book Critics Circle finalist This Is Major with these daring and exquisitely crafted essays, where Lawson journeys across the globe, finds beauty in tumultuous times, and powerfully disrupts the constraints of race, gender, and disability.
“Phenomenal . . . This is a book to read, read again, and remember.”—Imani Perry,New York Timesbestselling author of the National Book Award winner South to America
“Some writers have the gift of talent. Some writers’ talent is a gift to others, namely the reader. Then there are those writers who fall into both categories. Shayla Lawson is one such author. Thought provoking, raw, honest, funny, moving. This book is a treasure. Shayla is a marvel. I’m so grateful for what they and the book have given us.”—Phoebe Robinson,New York Times bestselling author of You Can’t Touch My Hair
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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How to Make Herself Agreeable to Everyone: A Memoir by Cameron Russell
A bold and innovative memoir that explores who holds the power in an image-obsessed culture, from the model and activist who helped organize the movement to bring equity to fashion.
“Fiercely intellectual, deeply vulnerable, and unapologetically honest, Russell reads through the layers of gender, race, capital, and exploitation in the fashion industry . . . I highly recommend this powerful work.”—Imani Perry, National Book Award–winning author of South to America
Available March 19th in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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The Cave: A Secret Underground Hospital and One Woman’s Story of Survival in Syria by Amani Ballour, M.D.
This searing memoir tells the story of a young doctor and activist who ran an underground hospital in Damascus, humanizing the enduring crisis in Syria.
Amani Ballour is a game changer who, like Malala Yousafzai, will be remembered as one of history’s great heroines. Growing up in a closely confined society, she dared to dream—first of an education, then of a career—that allowed her to make her mark on the world and protect the country she loves. A passionately committed humanitarian, she is determined that others will escape the horrors she survived.
Available in Hardcover.
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If You Can’t Take the Heat: Tales of Food, Feminism, and Fury by Geraldine DeRuiter
From the James Beard Award–winning blogger behind The Everywhereist come hilarious, searing essays on how food and cooking stoke the flames of her feminism.
“With charm and humor, Geraldine DeRuiter welcomes us into her personal history and thus reconnects us with ourselves.”—Mikki Kendall, New York Times bestselling author of Hood Feminism
Available March 12th in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Outofshapeworthlessloser: A Memoir of Figure Skating, F*cking Up, and Figuring It Out by Gracie Gold
A “piercing account” (The Wall Street Journal) of surviving as a young woman in a society that rewards appearances more than anything and demands perfection at all costs—especially if you’re an Olympic figure skater.
“A riveting memoir, which details her experience with an eating disorder, depression and her high-stakes career.”—People
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Filthyragbag: A Journey Through Growing Up, Grieving & Turning Pain Into Diamonds by Celeste Mountjoy
The artist known as Filthyratbag aims for the heart in this illustrated memoir on grief and Gen Z girlhood, shot through with equal parts incredulity and longing.
Celeste Mountjoy makes art that explores anxiety, feminism, addiction, body image, relationships, and power. With uncanny precision, it articulates the dark stuff we feel but dare not show. Mountjoy has become a voice for a generation of women who are ambivalent about the absurd, sometimes harrowing, path to adulthood. Filthyratbag is at once a primal scream, a shrug, and a PSA declaring that even though growing up is brutal, there are always more beautiful things to come.
Available April 23rd in Trade Paperback and eBook Editions.
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How to Be Old: Lessons in Living Boldly from the Accidental Icon by Lyn Slater
A personal memoir in which Lyn Slater, known on Instagram as “Accidental Icon,” brings her characteristic style, optimism, forward-thinking, and rules-are-meant-to-be-broken attitude to the question of how to live boldly at any age.
“In equal parts inspirational and aspirational, Lyn Slater’s How to Be Old is a rousing, thrilling ride of a book. Being old is a privilege and a gift. Slater’s combination of curiosity, glamour, and activism will make readers of all ages take heart.”—Dani Shapiro,New York Times bestselling author
Available March 12th in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Follow Lyn Slater @iconaccidental on Instagram
Helen Keller: Autobiographies & Other Writings (LOA #378): The Story of My Life / The World I Live In/ Essays, Speeches, Letters, and Journals by Helen Keller; Edited by Kim E. Nielsen
In her own words, the legendary American icon who overcame adversity to become a brilliant writer and powerful advocate for the disabled: The Story of My Life, The World I Live In, plus a dozen revealing personal letters, public speeches, essays, and more.
Kim E. Nielsen, Keller’s biographer and the author of A Disability History of the United States, introduces the volume, which includes a 16-page portfolio of photographs and a newly researched chronology of Keller’s life, along with authoritative notes and an index.Kim E. Nielsen, Keller’s biographer and the author of A Disability History of the United States, introduces the volume, which includes a 16-page portfolio of photographs and a newly researched chronology of Keller’s life, along with authoritative notes and an index.
Available in Hardcover and eBook Editions.
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Women in History:
The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History by Karen Valby
The forgotten story of a pioneering group of five Black ballerinas and their fifty-year sisterhood, a legacy erased from history—until now.
“Karen Valby’s The Swans of Harlem brings to life the stories of Black dancers whose contributions to the world of ballet were silenced, marginalized, and otherwise erased. Karen introduces readers to important figures of our past, while inspiring us to courageously chase our dreams. This is the kind of history I wish I learned as a child dreaming of the stage!”—Misty Copeland, New York Times bestselling author of Black Ballerinas: My Journey To Our Legacy
Available April 30th in Hardcover, eBook, Audio, and Large Print Editions.
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Watch Karen Valby on Our ‘Who Runs the World?’ Author Panel
Black Women Taught Us: An Intimate History of Black Feminism by Jenn M. Jackson, PhD
A reclamation of essential history and a hopeful gesture toward a better political future, this is what listening to Black women looks like—from a professor of political science and columnist for Teen Vogue.
“Jenn M. Jackson is a beautiful writer and excellent scholar. In this book, they pay tribute to generations of Black women organizers and set forward a bold and courageous blueprint for our collective liberation.”—Imani Perry, author of South to America
“In a world deeply committed to ignoring, mishearing, and disregarding Black women, to forgetting them, this book will not let us forget. It demands we remember. And it buoys us, reminding us that in our quest for freedom, Black feminists have always known the way, or made one.”—Brittney Cooper, author of Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong by Katie Gee Salisbury
Set against the glittering backdrop of Los Angeles during the gin-soaked Jazz Age and the rise of Hollywood, this debut book celebrates Anna May Wong, the first Asian American movie star, to bring an unsung heroine to light and reclaim her place in cinema history.
“Here at last is a biography of a groundbreaking and inspiring woman that is well-researched, thoughtful, enlightening, nuanced, and honest. The access Salisbury had to Anna May Wong’s family and friends places this biography above all others.”—Lisa See, New York Times bestselling author of Lady Tan’s Circle of Women
Available March 12th in Hardcover, eBook, and Audiobook.
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Watch Katie Gee Salisbury on Our ‘Who Runs the World?’ Author Panel
Bitter Crop: The Heartache and Triumph of Billie Holiday’s Last Year by Paul Alexander
A revelatory look at the tumultuous life of a jazz legend and American cultural icon.
“The unfinished life of Billie Holiday haunts us. In Bitter Crop, Paul Alexander tells her story in a way that could put her soul and our questions to rest.”—Gloria Steinem, award-winning author and political activist
“Perhaps only in this century can we fully change the narrative of Billie Holiday. Billie was a trespasser of taboos, a woman of tenderness and terror, whose story is repeated again and again by working-class women of color. This is a heartfelt ballad of a book written as only one artist could view another, with insight and sincere compassion.”—Sandra Cisneros, bestselling author of Woman Without Shame
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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American Flygirl: The True Story of Hazel Ying Lee, Who Followed Her Dream Against All the Odds—and Became an American Hero by Susan Tate Ankeny
One of WWII’s most uniquely hidden figures, Hazel Ying Lee was the first Asian American woman to earn a pilot’s license, join the WASPs, and fly for the United States military amid widespread anti-Asian sentiment and policies.
“The inspiring story of a trailblazer twice over within the gallant WASP ranks: Hazel Ying Lee, the first Asian American woman to earn a pilot’s license, and one of only two Asian Americans to earn her silver wings as a WASP. In Ankeny’s skilled hands, Lee’s story soars through an unforgettable flight of wartime courage, triumph, and tragedy.”—Gregg Jones, Pulitzer Prize Finalist and author of Most Honorable Son: A Forgotten Hero’s Fight Against Fascism and Hate During World War II
Available April 23rd in Hardcover and eBook Editions.
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A Visual Women’s History:
A History of Women in 101 Objects by Annabelle Hirsch
Discover the hidden history of women—and the world—through this visual exploration of intimate objects and the surprising, sometimes shocking stories behind them.
“A fantastic cabinet of curiosities that rethinks the role of women in history . . . Educational, funny—a joy!”—Leila Slimani
“Hirsch makes an engaging book debut with a feminist chronicle of women’s lives from prehistoric times to the present . . . Filled with illuminating anecdotes, the collection is as entertaining as it is informative.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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See some of these great authors and more in two recent panels!
