Many female authors have made their mark on literature, paving the way for the future of feminist writing. Breakthrough novelists have put pen to paper to touch on so many issues plaguing women throughout history. In honor of Women’s History Month, this week’s bookstop honors the authors and stories that have stretched boundaries and demanded attention for all women’s voices to be heard.
“The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood
“The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood has stood the test of time and continues to be an extremely popular dystopian novel following its release in 1985. Set in a dystopian society where women have their rights and autonomy stripped from them, it serves as a patriarchal warning while depicting the suffering women have historically had to endure. Atwood stated that she didn’t include anything in her novel that hadn’t happened already in history. With the television adaptation, its popularity has only grown.
“The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison left quite a legacy as the first Black woman to win a Nobel Prize in 1993, breaking barriers with her writing. “The Bluest Eye” tells the story of a young girl living in Ohio after the Great Depression. She prays for blue eyes, believing they will make her beautiful and loved. It is a tragic story of how beauty standards can lead to self-loathing and be damaging to young Black girls and women. Morrison weaves in the themes of racism, poverty, sexual abuse and self-worth in her 1970 debut novel.
“I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban” by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb
Malala Yousafzai has always been an advocate for women’s right to education. Her memoir dives into the fights and struggles she endured, including global terrorism, the threat of losing her education and surviving a gunshot to the head while riding home on a school bus. She is the youngest ever Nobel Prize laureate and has become a symbol of peaceful protest. Her story displays both the hardships women face and the perseverance she displayed to get to where she is today.
“Northanger Abbey” by Jane Austen
As one of the most prominent authors of the early 19th century, Jane Austen has proven her timelessness with her impact on literature as a female writer. Her Gothic novel “Northanger Abbey” is a particularly notable one. Austen places a satirical twist on the stereotypical Gothic themes, especially that of the Gothic heroine. Plagued by the societal pressures to marry, the protagonist, Catherine Morland, is living in a mundane world. Instead of running from the mysteries — like a typical Gothic heroine — she must create them herself in the books she reads. Austen showcases that the real horrors for women weren’t the supernatural; it was the societal cages they were forced into.
“Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë
Arguably one of the most well-known romances of all time, “Wuthering Heights,” broke barriers through its author, Emily Brontë. The novel is known for its particularly tragic and toxic love story. Upon its release, one of its critiques was that it was too dark for a female writer. However, despite the criticism it faced, Brontë’s one and only novel goes down in history as a classic. It was groundbreaking for its genre and time period, showcasing the power of a female storyteller. With its themes of race, class, passion, jealousy and revenge, the dark and twisting plot reveals a timeless and epic love story.
“The Color Purple” by Alice Walker
Alice Walker concludes this list on a strong note. Another timeless classic, “The Color Purple,” has won a Pulitzer Prize, been adapted into two films and earned itself a Tony-winning musical adaptation. With its themes of gender roles portrayed through domestic violence, education for women, race, sisterhood and self-worth, it highlights the oppression the protagonist, Celie, receives as a Black woman. Told from the perspective of her letters to God, Johnson tells the story of her abuse from her father and then her husband, tying in the theme of intergenerational trauma. Following the misogynistic violence she receives, she is able to experience a physical, consensual relationship with a woman, with their relationship developing beautifully.