Female authors have been shaping the ideals and movement of feminism for centuries. In this list are 10 iconic books that explore core feminist themes. Ranging from 1847-2023, these fiction and non-fiction books explore a variety of topics to get you thinking and plots to keep you entertained.
- Jane Eyre (1847)
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Charlotte Brontë’s 1847 novel Jane Eyre is one of the most well-known books associated with feminist literature. It makes the No. 3 spot on Goodreads’ “Best Feminist Books” list. This novel follows a determined heroine, Jane Eyre, who grew up an orphan fending for herself. She eventually finds work as a governess for the daughter of a man named Mr. Rochester. A romance between Jane and Rochester unfolds, and Jane must confront her sense of individuality and its contrast to the social expectations of married women. Jane is a feminist figure who defied Victorian gender norms, achieving financial and emotional independence while still finding love.
- The Yellow Wall-paper and other stories (1892-1914)
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Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote over 200 short stories in her life, her most well-known being The Yellow Wall-paper. The story follows a woman recently moved into an old mansion with her husband. Though she is struggling with mental health issues, her husband refuses to listen to her, using his role as a physician to deny her claims of being unwell. He keeps her confined to her room with yellow wallpaper that she hates. The story is told through her secret journal entries, following her descent into madness as she stares endlessly into the wallpaper’s design, becoming obsessed with what she begins to believe lies within. The story is an iconic exploration of women’s mental health and a call to listen to women’s voices.
There are many collections of Perkins-Gilman’s stories. Much of her work revolves around women’s finances, friendships, and mental health. She also writes about romance, marriage, and motherhood. The edition linked here contains 32 of these stories.
- A Room of one’s own (1929)
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Virginia Woolf wrote A Room of One’s Own, about the societal oppression of the female fiction writer. This book is a powerful extended essay about how society limits women’s independence, and therefore their ability to write. She focuses on the idea of women needing “money and a room of one’s own,” to write fiction, as well as an education and the freedom to express ideas. Although this book is considered non-fiction, Woolf uses fictional characters (or fictional depictions of historical figures) such as a young woman named Mary and William Shakespeare’s sister, Judith, to display these social systems that restrict the female mind and body. She uses examples both imaginary and real to argue her points, and provides a fascinating look into the way female voices have been historically repressed. This book makes No. 4 on Goodreads’ “Best Feminist Books” list.
- The bluest eye (1970)
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The Bluest Eye is a novel by Toni Morrison about the intersection of sexism, racism, and economic struggle, and how it negatively impacts Black women and girls. Morrison writes from multiple perspectives as they navigate their community and identities. Ultimately, it centers on Pecola Breedlove, a young child who wishes desperately to have blue eyes, which reflects the white beauty standard she is surrounded by. Her story reflects feminist issues such as the silencing of girls’ voices and their lack of autonomy, and how the history of racism and socio-economic oppression feeds into these issues. Pecola faces abuse, bullying, and sexual assault, and receives little help or support in her already struggling community.
- The Handmaid’s Tale (1985)
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Currently No. 1 on Goodreads’ “Best Feminist Books” list, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale is one of the most iconic pieces of feminist literature. The novel follows a dystopian, future America where the U.S. government has been dismantled, replaced by an extreme religious regime. Due to environmental decline, many have become infertile, and this new regime now forces fertile women to act as ‘handmaids,’ who are assigned to reproduce for elite families. The main character is called “Offred,” meaning “of Fred” or owned by Fred. We never learn her real name, only getting pieces of her past as she tries to cling to memories of her husband and daughter. The story is about the control of women’s bodies and the consequences of totalitarian governments and religious nationalism.
- I Who Have never known men (1995)
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Jaqueline Harpman’s novel I Who Have Never Known Men follows the dystopian story of a young girl who was kidnapped with 39 other grown women and imprisoned in an underground bunker. They are kept and guarded for years, with no way of telling time or escaping. The young narrator has no memory of the world, and has never known a man outside of the silent guards who survey their large, shared cell. Now a woman, the unnamed narrator is the key to the escape and survival of the group. This novel is about the oppression of women, the role of female companionship, and the intelligence and strength of women.
- Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language (2019)
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Wordslut is a non-fiction book written by language scholar Amanda Montell. This book is about the misogynistic way that language is used, and a guide to recognizing the language designed to hold women back from gaining equality. Even in just the way certain language and words are treated is a sign of sexism in Western culture. This book is an enlightening way to reshape how women speak about one another and themselves.
- Hood feminism (2020)
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Hood Feminism is a non-fiction book by activist Mikki Kendall. It breaks down the importance of intersectionality, the idea that different forms of oppression interact and influence one another, such as being a woman and a person of color. Kendall emphasizes that feminists should focus on things like hunger, poverty, and violence for those women who don’t have their basic needs met. She brings in her personal experience as a Black woman and the way that Black women and girls experience more layers of sexism and social stigma than white women and girls. This book is a great way to analyze your own idea of feminism and to find and understand issues you may not have considered before.
- The spirit Bares its teeth (2023)
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Andrew Joseph White’s The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a historical fantasy novel. This novel may follow a transgender boy, but it analyzes his experience of misogyny as a perceived young woman and has key feminist themes. In this world, there is a magical element for those with violet eyes. Violet eyes indicate the magical ability to contact spirits through the veil, but only men are allowed to use that power. Women are limited to marriage, childbirth, or punishment. In an attempt to escape an arranged marriage, the main character, Silas, is sent to an institution to cure what they call the “veil sickness,” which is diagnosed in women who fall out of line. At this institution, Silas uncovers the corruption and dark secrets of his society. This novel explores the way women have been historically controlled and silenced.
- A study in drowning (2023)
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A Study in Drowning is a fantasy novel by feminist author Ava Reid. It follows a young female scholar named Effy Sayre. Effy is an architecture student who longs to study literature, though her school does not accept women as students. So when her favorite late author, Emrys Myrddin’s, family asks for a student to help redesign his estate, she jumps at the chance. When she arrives, she meets Preston Héloury, who is working as a literature student to question the authenticity of Myrddin’s work. At first, the two rival, but then together they discover unsettling truths about Myrddin, his family, and his creepy seaside mansion. This novel has a huge emphasis on the historical power imbalances between men and women in work, education, and relationships. Effy has to question the way she worships Myrrdin, and the way the world of literature might be more corrupt than she imagined.
