Hi, historical fiction fans,
Did you know March is Women’s History Month in the U.S.? It’s a great time to read fiction by and about women, whether that’s usual for you or something you want to be more intentional about in the future. I’ve got some great recommendations to get you started!
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Bookish Goods
Famous Female Authors Bookmarks from Fly Paper Products on Etsy
Celebrate Women’s History Month with these bookmarks featuring famous female authors throughout history. $40
New Releases
A Home for Friendless Women by Kelly E. Hill (March 19, 2024)
At the Home for Friendless Women in Victorian-era Louisville, Kentucky, three young women consider what it means to spend time here for very different reasons. Ruth, a college student, is simply biding her time before getting her life back after a sexual assault. Belle, a queer sex worker, came by choice for a safe place to stay before she can set out to find her lost lover. Minnie, as the daughter of the home’s founders, is meant to view the women living here as a cautionary tale. But is it really the women themselves that are the problem or is it the society that condemns them?
James by Percival Everett (March 19, 2024)
In this reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Jim takes center stage. After overhearing that he’s going to be sold to another plantation away from his wife and daughter, Jim flees, hoping to buy time to figure out a plan. It’s then that he meets a young Huck Finn, who recently ran away from his abusive father. Together they take off down the Mississippi on a journey toward the Free States that you may think you’re familiar with—but you’ve never heard the tale from Jim’s perspective.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Let’s celebrate Women’s History Month with three great historical fiction reads based on the lives of real women.
Carolina Built by Kianna Alexander
Born on a plantation, Josephine N. Leary is determined to build a good life for herself and her family after emancipation. Balancing her duties as a wife, mother, daughter, and granddaughter is never easy, but Josephine teaches herself finance and makes smart investments, eventually becoming a North Carolina real estate magnate.
Resistance Women by Jennifer Chiaverini
When Mildred Fish marries a German economist, it seems a bright future awaits. Art and culture thrive in 1930s Berlin, but the rise of the Nazi Party soon changes everything. Mildred and her husband are determined to resist the new regime, and soon, Mildred begins gathering intelligence for her American contacts. The network of German women she brings together works for years to target Nazi officials at the highest levels. But when a radio signal exposes them, the consequences are deadly.
Sister Mother Warrior by Vanessa Riley
During the Haitian Revolution, two incredible women from very different backgrounds, one a kidnapped and enslaved warrior and the other a free woman of color, help change the course of history. On a plantation, Toya raised the boy who would one day become the revolutionary Jean-Jacques Dessalines as well as join the front lines of revolution herself. Despite her life of privilege and a marriage of convenience to a Frenchman, Marie-Claire would eventually become wife and empress alongside Dessalines. Together and apart, Toya and Marie-Claire play a pivotal role in ushering in a free Haiti.
That’s it for now, folks! Stay subscribed for more stories of yesteryear.
If you want to talk books, historical or otherwise, you can find me @rachelsbrittain on various social media platforms.
Right now, I’m reading The Woman With No Name by Audrey Blake. What about you?