Books that Feature the Theme of Femininity

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.

The Dollhouse

by Fiona Davis

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Loneliness, Memory, Regret, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Coming of Age, Death, The Past, Place, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Beauty, Loyalty & Betrayal, Music

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Romance

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The Doorman

by Chris Pavone

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Nostalgia, Revenge, Femininity, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Race, Sexual Identity, Aging, Childhood & Youth, Midlife, Death, The Past, Place, Family, Marriage, Mothers, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Economics, Nation, Politics & Government, Art, Beauty, Equality, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Safety & Danger

Tags Horror & Suspense

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The Dovekeepers

by Alice Hoffman

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Femininity, War, Fate, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction, Military & War, Gender & Feminism, Magical Realism, Jewish Literature, Grief & Death, World History

The Dovekeepers (2011) is a historical fiction novel by Alice Hoffman, set in ancient Israel in 70-73 CE. Infused with magical realism, the book is a dramatized feminist retelling of the Siege of Masada, an event in which 960 Jews resisted the onslaught of Roman forces for nine months. The siege took place in the rugged mountain fortress of Masada and left only seven survivors: two women and five children. In Hoffman’s telling, the narrative... Read The Dovekeepers Summary

The Dream Hotel

by Laila Lalami

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Grief, Guilt, Loneliness, Memory, Nostalgia, Regret, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Race, Future, Appearance & Reality, Marriage, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Immigration, Politics & Government, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Science & Technology

Tags Science Fiction

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The Duchess of Malfi

by John Webster

Publication year 1614

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Power & Greed, Marriage, Justice, Social Class, Femininity

Tags Tragedy, Jacobean Era, Social Class, Education, Education, World History, Dramatic Literature, Classic Fiction

The Duchess of Malfi, originally published as The Tragedy of the Dutchesse of Malfy, is a Jacobean revenge tragedy written by John Webster. Webster also wrote the revenge tragedy The White Devil and frequently collaborated with other playwrights working for the King’s Men in London. It was written in 1613 and performed to a private audience at Blackfriars Theatre a year later. That same year it was also performed to a general audience at the... Read The Duchess of Malfi Summary

The Edible Woman

by Margaret Atwood

Publication year 1969

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Femininity

Tags Gender & Feminism, Food, Satirical Literature, Women`s Studies, Modern Classic Fiction, Canadian Literature, Classic Fiction

Published in 1969, The Edible Woman was Margret Atwood’s first novel and established her reputation as a significant contemporary novelist. The Edible Woman follows recently engaged Marian McAlpin as she attempts to reconcile her need for personal autonomy with the gendered expectations inherent within the roles of a wife and mother. As Marian begins to feel a loss of identity, her body suddenly refuses certain foods, particularly meat. To reflect the inner struggle her protagonist... Read The Edible Woman Summary

The Eights

by Joanna Miller

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Grief, Femininity, Gender Identity, Coming of Age, Friendship, Education, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Gender & Feminism

Joanna Miller’s debut historical fiction novel, The Eights (2025), is set at Oxford University in 1920, beginning on the historic day that women are first permitted to matriculate and become full members of the university. New students Beatrice, Marianne, Dora, and Otto are assigned rooms on the same corridor. They form a tight-knit friendship group known as “the Eights.” As they navigate their first year, they contend with institutional hostility, restrictive rules, and the lingering... Read The Eights Summary

The Enchanted April

by Elizabeth von Arnim

Publication year 1922

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Friendship, Marriage, Self Discovery

Tags Romance, British Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Pastoralism

The Enchanted April (1922) is a novel by English author Elizabeth von Arnim. Set in a fictionalized version of a real 15th-century castle near Portofino, it follows four women as they embark on a month-long holiday on the Italian coast. Mrs. Wilkins, Mrs. Arbuthnot, Mrs. Fisher, and Lady Caroline Dester all travel to Italy to escape the dreariness of their daily lives and find themselves transformed by the beauty of the Italian countryside. Not entirely... Read The Enchanted April Summary

The End We Start From

by Megan Hunter

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Mothers, Perseverance, Femininity, Climate, Friendship

Tags Science Fiction

The End We Start From (2017) is a dystopian novel by British author Megan Hunter. Set in an apocalyptic version of London, the story centers on climate disaster survival and the trauma of navigating pregnancy and motherhood in the wake of a cataclysmic climate event that alters the world as we know it. The story is primarily told from the first-person perspective of an unnamed narrator and written in a lyrical style that swings between... Read The End We Start From Summary

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

by Jacqueline Kelly

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Femininity, Coming of Age, Animals, Environment, Plants, Grandparents, Social Class, Science & Technology

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Science & Nature, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, World History

Published in 2009, Jacqueline Kelly’s The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate is a middle grade novel that follows the life of a young Calpurnia as she explores her love for science in the highly patriarchal society that dominated Texas in the late 19th century. The novel received praise from both readers and critics for its thematic emphasis on discovery and personal growth, earning it the Newbery Honor Award in 2010. This guide refers to the 2011... Read The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate Summary

The Exiles

by Christina Baker Kline

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Gender Identity, Femininity, Race, Social Class, Colonialism, Loyalty & Betrayal, Equality

Tags Historical Fiction, Gender & Feminism, British Literature, World History

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