Looking for female-focused historical books

Hello everyone!

Afraid I’m here with the usual story – an avid childhood reader who fell out of love with reading by doing a PhD. I’m hoping people here might be able to help with some recommendations to help me get back to reading more than just a handful of books a year when I’m on holiday!

One major theme I’ve noticed in books I used to love is that there’s a lot of female-focused historical fiction in there. Stories about women, often in female-focused spaces, or facing the limitations placed on them. I’d love to find more books which capture those themes and feelings but aimed at a more adult audience.

As a pre-teen/teenager, some of my favourite books were:

• The Remarkable Life and Times of Eliza Rose and Newes From The Dead, both by Mary Hooper
• The Lady Grace Mysteries by “Grace Cavendish”
• Ivy, Hazel and Rowan The Strange by Julie Hearn
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
• The Lottie Project by Jacqueline Wilson
• A Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotson

As an adult, I’ve really enjoyed:

• Everything by Sarah Waters
• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
• Poor Things by Alasdair Gray
• Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Others I’ve read which fit the brief (and range from perfectly fine to liked) include: a fair number of Philippa Gregory books, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, The Mad Women’s Ball, Orlando, The Chosen and The Beautiful.

I’m open to any time period (let’s say up to the 1980s) and location – I’ve read mostly books set in British history and I’m very happy to read more of that but show me more of the world too! I’m also open to narrative-style non-fiction (such as the Call the Midwife memoirs by Jennifer Worth).

I’m particularly interested in recommendations that feature one or more of these themes, though they’re not essential, just things I particularly love!

• The arts – women in art, theatre, film, music, writing, or other forms of creativity, or people who are adjacent to these worlds
• Healthcare and reproduction – women in medicine, psychiatry and midwifery, as providers and patients (and in all the forms these can take)
• Queer romance

A few already on my radar are:

• The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
• The Wonder by Emma Donoghue
• Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

I’m not currently looking for:

• Anything too dark, dense or heavy-going (either in style or theme) – I don’t need pure fluff but I’m trying to rediscover my love for reading right now and want to stick to stuff that engages me but doesn’t make me think too hard for the moment
• Classic novels – I love a lot of classic books (Austen, Eliot, etc.) but I’m primarily after more modern writing at the moment
• Anything with a fantasy element – I don’t mind a bit of period-appropriate superstition, but I’d like stuff that stays fairly grounded

Thank you for any recommendations you might have!