This thematic Collection highlights Books that Feature the Theme of Femininity. Through novels, plays, and works of nonfiction, the selections in this Collection explore the feminine experience in a variety of historical settings and cultures as they examine topics such as gender roles, feminism, and what it means to be feminine.
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Life/Time: The Future, Identity: Femininity
Tags Gender / Feminism, Science / Nature, Politics / Government, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy
Influenced by the dystopian futuristic vision of Margaret Atwood’s landmark 1985 feminist work The Handmaid’s Tale, Naomi Alderman’s 2016 novel The Power fuses genre elements of speculative fiction with the traditional historical novel. Part allegory, part satire, the novel depicts a near-contemporary world in which women move into positions of real power through an inexplicable genetic anomaly: they develop an extra braid of muscle along their collarbones that enables them to shoot devastating jolts of... Read The Power Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, History: World, Grief / Death, Health / Medicine, Relationships, WWI / World War I, LGBTQ, Irish Literature
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Femininity
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 1915
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Femininity, Society: Class, Identity: Sexuality
Tags Classic Fiction, Love / Sexuality, British Literature, Modernism, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance
The Rainbow (1915) by D. H. Lawrence follows three generations of the Brangwen family in Nottinghamshire, England, during the Second Industrial Revolution. The novel covers approximately 65 years in the Brangwens’ agricultural dynasty and explores how each generation changes in the face of modernity and industrial progress. The novel’s depiction of sexual desire and its role in the protagonists’ relationships and spiritual lives led to The Rainbow being the center of an obscenity trial a... Read The Rainbow Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: War, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Identity: Race, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Nation
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Crime / Legal, Race / Racism, Military / War, History: World
Publication year 1997
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Self Discovery
Tags Historical Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Religion / Spirituality, Jewish Literature, Love / Sexuality, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: World
The Red Tent (1997) is an adult historical novel by Jewish American author Anita Diamant. It describes the life of Dinah, daughter of Jacob, who appears in the biblical Book of Genesis. While her mention in the Bible only concerns her abduction by a Canaanite man and her brothers’ act of atrocity in response, Diamant imagines a full life for Dinah—including a childhood raised by several mothers, her first marriage, and life in Egypt, where... Read The Red Tent Summary
Publication year 1949
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death
Publication year 1230
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Romance, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, French Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
The Romance of the Rose, or Roman de la Rose in the original French, is an allegorical poem written between the years 1225 and 1278 by two authors, Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun. De Lorris wrote the first three chapters of the work from 1225-1230, and de Meun added nine additional chapters from approximately 1269-1278. Not much is known about either author, but the poem became a foundational piece of medieval literature, particularly... Read The Romance of the Rose Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Gender / Feminism, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Military / War, History: World, Romance
Publication year 1866
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Satire, Love / Sexuality
Publication year 1980
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Society: Community, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Society: Politics & Government, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags American Literature, Classic Fiction, Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, African American Literature
The Salt Eaters (1980) by Toni Cade Bambara is set in the fictional town of Claybourne, Georgia, in the late 1970s. The style of the novel is experimental and nonlinear. It follows stories and characters linked by themes more than plot. It moves between the past, present, and future in the minds and actions of different characters. The novel centers on the spiritual healing Velma receives from Minnie after a mental health crisis and spirals... Read The Salt Eaters Summary
Publication year 1949
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality
Tags Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Existentialism, Philosophy, Sociology
Publication year 1964
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Future
Publication year 1947
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Post-War Era, Japanese Literature
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Courage
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Italian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Flora/plants, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Historical Fiction, Science / Nature, Age of Enlightenment, Realistic Fiction, History: World
IntroductionThe Signature of All Things is an adult historical novel by American author Elizabeth Gilbert. It was published by Penguin Random House in 2013, and Gilbert had already established herself on the New York Times bestseller list with her two memoirs, Eat, Pray, Love (2006) and Committed (2010), after garnering critical acclaim for her earlier fiction, biographies, and magazine journalism. The Signature of All Things spans the life of the fictional Alma Whittaker, a keenly... Read The Signature of All Things Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Aging, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Fairy Tale / Folklore
The Sleeper and the Spindle is a standalone short story written by English American author Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Chris Riddell. It first appeared unillustrated in the 2013 anthology Rag & Bones: New Twists on Timeless Tales. The story is a loose retelling of Sleeping Beauty, featuring two unnamed female characters who act as reimagined versions of the sleeping princess and of Snow White. It uses classic fairy tale tropes and motifs to upend... Read The Sleeper and the Spindle Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Grandparents, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Historical Fiction, Western, History: U.S., History: World