As strong women of the world, it’s important that we become inspired and humbled by heroins in the novels we read. Females in literature are (finally) gaining more complexity, exposure, and relevance, which is why it is our duty to keep up with these milestones by celebrating authors who are bringing these beautifully crafted stories to life. The books mentioned below are a small sampling of the vast array of female stories that have been present for all of history, but are finally gaining their long awaited recognition.
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie rose to fame through her Tedx Talk entitled “We Should All be Feminists,” (which I highly recommend watching), but she has recently made headlines due to her best-selling novel, Americanah. Her story of a young Nigerian woman, Ifemelu, moving to America to study, all the while her childhood love, Obinze, experiences a different transition in the UK, is telling of culture, class, and race relations in various parts of the globe. This is a deeply raw account of what it means to develop a relationship to the concept of ‘home’ through a powerful feminist lens.
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
If you haven’t heard of the witty Margaret Atwood yet, I suggest you spend some time reading every single one of her novels. Alias Grace is a particularly telling account of the deeply complex relationships that women have to trauma, memory, violence, and sexuality all inspired by her deep fascination with the real story of Grace Marks. Atwood combines brilliant writing with innovative narrative techniques that fuse together a wonderfully challenging novel full of surprises from beginning to end.
Malinche by Laura Esquivel
For the lover of history, this is the next must read novel. The powerful Laura Esquivel, known for writing about strong Mexican women, accounts the life of La Malinche, the woman who served as an interpreter between Hernan Cortes and the Nahua people of Mexico. Combining conflicts of language and spirituality with a deep cultural commentary, Esquivel masterfully dissects the tense dynamic of this critical moment in history. (P.S. If you speak Spanish and are able to pick this up in its original language, that’s even better!)
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
Now an Academy Award nominated film, Cheryl Strayed’s moving memoir recounting her solo backpacking trip up the Pacific Crest Trail is a powerful symbol of human strength in the face of disparity. Having reached the lowest point in her life after her mother’s traumatic death, Strayed embarked on a three month hike with no previous experience, and went on to tell her tale in one of the most beautifully written books I’ve ever read. Overcoming the obstacles on her hike became metaphorical of the distance she needed to overcome all of the struggles she could never face head on, and is a must read for anyone seeking a book that they won’t be able to put down.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
In another book-turned-movie sensation, Kazuo Ishiguro builds one of the most complex female leads in contemporary fiction through his protagonist, Kathy. Told entirely through a retrospective lens, the novel explores Kathy’s regrets and losses in the dystopian reality she has been brought up in. This is a heavy novel which exposes the vulnerability of societal constructs and blurs the lines of autonomy and dependency, all of which are embodied through the spirit of Kathy.
[Feature Image by Pexels]