I've been reading a lot about women in history lately, mostly about concubines I'd like to know more about women in history, Doesn't matter how famous of from where in the world. Does anyone know any books that are written by women themselves or give a good insight into their lives?
by KazuhaMushroom
16 Comments
The Woman Who Smashed Codes by Jason Fagone
Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon (this is technically a novel but it’s based on the life of a Nancy Wake and a lot of the content in the book was taken directly from Wake’s autobiography)
Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl is one of my all-time favorite books. It’s about her experience as an NYT food critic and how she would use disguises to stay anonymous. It was published in 2005 but I still think about it from time-to-time. Not quite history but maybe worth a read if it sounds interesting to you.
I also really enjoyed The Girl with Seven Names by David John and Lee Hyeon-seo is about a woman who unintentionally defected from N. Korea in the 90s. Also a book I still think about years after reading.
Empress Orchid, by Anchee Min
Code Name: Lise by Larry Loftis is about a female spy in WWII I don’t read a ton of non-fiction but this was a fascinating read.
Maybe Wild Swans by Jung Chang. I haven’t gotten to it yet but I’ve bought a copy after it having been recommended to me by multiple people. It’s about three generations of women in China and for example the lasting impact of Mao’s rule.
Just like another commenter I thought the Girl with seven names was really interesting too!
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
*A Woman’s Battles and Transformations* by Edouard Louis and *The Young Man* by Annie Ernaux. Both short enough to read in 1 sitting. I love them
Hawai’i’s Story by Hawai’i’s Queen.
Written by Queen Lili’uokalani who was the last monarch of Hawai’i.
The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict about Hedy Lamarr
Ditto to Wild Swans – it’s also a really good history of China.
Elaine Brown’s *A Taste of Power: A Black Woman’s Own Story* was a super interesting read for me. She was a leader of the Black Panthers in Oakland California, and the only woman ever to hold that position. The book is a really interesting window into a tumultuous and she doesn’t pull any punches. I lived in Oakland at the time I read it, and I found it thoroughly enjoyable to read about events that happened within walking distance of my house. And she is still around! She is a community activist.
“West With the Night” by Beryl Markham. Amazing audiobook performance by Julie Harris
Ambition and Desire: The Dangerous Life of Josephine Bonaparte by Kate Williams
Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister: Three Women at the Heart of Twentieth-Century China by Jung Chang
*Wings, Women, and War: Soviet Airwomen in World War II Combat* by Reina Pennington.
*The Sniper Anthology: Snipers of the Second World War* by various authors. (This book has chapters on snipers of multiple nationalities including the female Soviet sniper, Lyudmila Mikhailovna Pavlichenko.
“Witchcraft: a history in thirteen trials” is a great window into the evolution of women’s roles in society through the eyes of persecution. Highly recommend! A great audiobook but the physical has pictures that brought the history alive too.