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 Rose Code

by Kate Quinn

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Teamwork, Friendship, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Gender & Feminism, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Military & War, World History, Romance

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The Salt Eaters

by Toni Cade Bambara

Publication year 1980

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mental Health, Community, Femininity, Gender Identity, Politics & Government, Race, 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

The Secret Place

by Tana French

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Hate & Anger, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Death, Appearance & Reality, Social Class, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Irish Literature, Coming of Age

Written by Irish American author Tana French, The Secret Place (2014) combines elements of thrillers and police procedurals and follows Dublin detectives Stephen Moran and Antoinette Conway as they pursue new leads in a year-old murder case on the grounds of a private Catholic boarding school. As the detectives sort through hidden pieces of evidence and conflicting stories, they interview two groups of female students who provide only partial, often conflicting stories. The murder victim... Read The Secret Place Summary

The Sicilian Inheritance

by Jo Piazza

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Forgiveness, Hope, Loneliness, Memory, Nostalgia, Revenge, Femininity, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Death, The Past, Daughters & Sons, Family, Mothers, Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags Horror & Suspense, Italian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction

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The Signature of All Things

by Elizabeth Gilbert

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Plants, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Femininity, Science & Technology, Marriage

Tags Historical Fiction, Science & Nature, Age of Enlightenment, Realistic Fiction, World History

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 curious... Read The Signature of All Things Summary

The Sleeper and the Spindle

by Neil Gaiman

Publication year 2014

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Memory, Revenge, Femininity, Gender Identity, Aging, Social Class, Beauty, Good & Evil, Literature, 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

The Son

by Philipp Meyer

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Conflict, Perseverance, Guilt, Loneliness, Regret, Femininity, Indigenous Identity, Masculinity, Race, The Past, Environment, Place, Daughters & Sons, Fathers, Grandparents, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Nation, War, Fate, Power & Greed, Wins & Losses

Tags Historical Fiction, Western, US History, World History

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The Stories of Eva Luna

by Isabel Allende

Publication year 1989

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Love, Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Femininity, Literature, Power & Greed

Tags Magical Realism, Historical Fiction, Latin American Literature, Romance, Classic Fiction

The Stories of Eva Luna is a collection of short fiction by best-selling Chilean author Isabel Allende. The collection—first published in Spanish in 1989 and in English in 1991—is a follow-up to Allende’s 1987 novel, Eva Luna. Eva is the narrator of the stories in the collection, which is structured as a frame story with the Prologue harkening back to Eva Luna.Isabel Allende is famed for her work in the genre of magical realism and... Read The Stories of Eva Luna Summary

The Story of the Lost Child

by Elena Ferrante

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Femininity, Literature

Tags Historical Fiction, Italian Literature, Gender & Feminism, Women`s Studies, Modern Classic Fiction

The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante is the fourth and final book in the Neapolitan Novel quartet, which documents the lives and friendship of Elena Greco and Lila Cerullo. The book appeared in Italian in 2014 and was translated into English by Ann Goldstein in 2015. In 2016, it made the International Booker Prize Longlist. The quartet has achieved worldwide renown, causing the pseudonymous author to become a household name. In her... Read The Story of the Lost Child Summary

The Tiger Flu

by Larissa Lai

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Femininity, Environment

Tags Science Fiction, LGBTQ+, Gender & Feminism, Health, Science & Nature, Chinese Literature, Fantasy

The Tiger Flu by Larissa Lai is a work of dystopian speculative fiction first published in 2018 by Arsenal Pulp Press, an independent publisher based in Vancouver, Canada. With its focus on futuristic technologies that merge and manipulate human biology, The Tiger Flu can be subclassified as a cyber/biopunk thriller. The book won the 2019 Lambda Literary Award, which recognizes and celebrates the best LGBTQ books of the year. A Chinese Canadian, lesbian writer, Larissa... Read The Tiger Flu Summary